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ROBERT'S 

Rules  of  Order 
Revised 

FOR 

DELIBERATIVE  ASSEMBLIES 


PART  I 

RULES  OF  ORDER 

COMPENDIUM    OF  PARLIAMENTARY  LAW,  BASED  UPON  THE  RULES 
AND   PRACTICE    OF    CONGRESS 

PART  II 

ORGANIZATION  AND  CONDUCT 
OF  BUSINESS 

.   SIMPLE    EXPLANATION    OF    THE    METHODS    OF    ORGANIZING   XSC 

CONDUCTING  THE   BUSINESS   OF   SOCIETIES.   CONVENTIONS. 

AND    OTHER    DELIBERATIVE    ASSEMBLIES 


GENERAL  HENRY  M.  ROBERT 
U.  S.  Army 


INCLUSIVE  OF  ROBERT'S  RULES  OF  ORDER 
SEVEN  HU>'DRED  AND  TWENTY-SECOND  THOUSAND 


SCOTT.  FORESMAN  AND  COMPANY 

CHICAGO  ATLANTA  NEW  YORK 


Copyright,  1915 

By  henry   M.    ROBERT 

All  Rights  Reserved 


[Copyrights  of  the  Pocket  Manual  of  Rules  of  Order 

(Robert-s  Rules  of  Order) 

Copyright,  1876.  1893,  190i,  1918,  1921 

By  H.  M.  ROBERT] 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Order  of  Precedence  of  Motions 5 

Table  of  Rules  Relating  to  Motions 6 

Preface    13 

Introduction. 

Parliamentary    Law 15 

Plan  of  the  Work 20 

Definitions  22 

Part  I. — Rules  of  Order. 

Art.  I. — How  Business  is  Conducted  in  Delib- 
erative Assemblies. 

§   1,  Introduction  of  Business 25 

2.  What  Precedes  Debate 26 

3.  Obtaining  the  Floor 27 

4.  Motions  and   Resolutions 33 

5.  Seconding  Motions   36 

6.  Stating  the  Question . 38 

7.  Debate 38 

8.  Secondary  Motions 40 

9.  Putting  the  Question  and  Announc- 

ing the  Vote 40 

10.  Proper    Motions    to   Use   to   Accom- 
plish Certain  Objects 43 

Art.  II. — General  Classification  of  Motions. 

§   11.   Main  or  Principal  Motions 51 

12.  Subsidiary  Motions  54 

13.  Incidental  Alotions    56 

14.  Privileged  Motions 57 

15.  Some  Main  and  Unclassified  Motions  58 

Art.  III. — Privileged  Motions. 

§   16.  Fix  the  Time  to  which  the  Assem- 
bly shall  Adjourn 59 

17.  Adjourn    60 

18.  Take  a  Recess 64 

19.  Questions  of   Privilege 66 

20.  General    and    Special    Orders   and   a 

Call  for  the  Orders  of  the  Day.  . .  68 
1 


2  TABLE   OF    CONTENTS 

Art.  IV. — Incidental  Motions.  page 

§  21.  Questions  of  Order  and  Appeal....     78 

22.  Suspension  of  the  Rules 83 

23.  Objection  to  the  Consideration  of  a 

Question    87 

24.  Division  of  a  Question,  and  Consid- 

eration by  Paragraph  or  Seriatim     89 

25.  Division  of  the  Assembly,  and  Mo- 

tions relating  to  Methods  of 
Voting,  or  to  Closing  or  Reopen- 
ing the  Polls 95 

26.  Motions     relating    to     Methods    of 

Making,  or  to  Closing  or  to  Re- 
opening   Nominations 96 

27.  Requests   growing  out   of   Business 

Pending  or  that  has  just  been 
pending,  as,  a  Parliamentary  In- 
quiry, a  Request  for  Information, 
for  Leave  to  Withdraw  a.  Motion, 
to  Read  Papers,  to  be  Excused 
from  a  Duty,  or  for  any  other 
Privilege    97 

Art.  V. — ^Subsidiary  Motions. 

§  28.  Lay  on  the  Table 104 

29.  The  Previous  Question Ill 

30.  Limit  or  Extend  Limits  of  Debate..    118 

31.  Postpone  Definitely,  or  to  a  Certain 

Time  121 

32.  Commit  or  Refer,  or  Recommit. .  . .    125 

33.  Amend   134 

34.  Postpone    Indefinitely 152 

Art.  VI. — Some  Main  and  Unclassified  Motions. 

§  35.  Take  from  the  Table 154 

36.  Reconsider    156 

37.  Rescind    169 

38.  Renewal   of  a   Motion 171 

39.  Ratify 173 

40.  Dilatory,  Absurd,  or  Frivolous  Mo- 

tions   . .  . : 174 

41.  Call  of  the  House 175 


TA]'.LE    OF    CONTENTS  3 

Art.  VII. — Debate.  page 

§  42.  Debate   178 

43.  Decorum  in    Debate 180 

44.  Closing  and  Preventing  Debate..  ..    182 

45.  Principles  of  Debate  and  Undebat- 

able  Motions    184 

Art.  VIII.— Vote. 

§  46.  Voting 188 

47.  Votes  that  are  i\'uli  and  \'oid  even 

if  Unanimous 201 

48.  Motions  requiring  more  than  a  Ma- 

jority Vote 202 

Art.  IX. — Committees  and  Boards. 

§  49.  Committees    Classified 206 

50.  Boards  of   Managers,   etc.,  and   Ex- 

ecutive Committees 207 

51.  Ex-Officio  Members  of  Boards  and 

Committees 210 

52.  Committees.  Special  and  Standing..  211 

53.  Reception  of  Reports 220 

54.  Adoption  or  Acceptance  of  Reports  223 

55.  Committee  of  the  Whole 229 

56.  As  if  in  Committee  of  the  Whole..  233 

57.  Informal  Consideration 234 

Art.  X. — The  Officers  and  the  Minutes. 

§  58.  Chairman  or  President 236 

59.  Secretary  or   Clerk 244 

60.  The    Minutes 247 

61.  Executive   Secretary 250 

62.  Treasurer    251 

Art.  XL — Miscellaneous. 

§  63.  Session  253 

64.  Quorum  257 

65.  Order   of    Business 261 

66.  Nominations  and  Elections 263 

67.  Constitutions,     By-laws,     Rules     of 

Order,  and  Standing  Rules 264 

68.  Amendments   of  Constitutions,   By- 

laws, and  Rules  of  Order 269 


TABLE   OF    CONTENTS 


Part  II. — Organization,  Meetings,  and  Legal 
Rights  of  Assemblies. 

Art.  XII. — Organization  and  Meetings. 

PAGE 

§  69.  An  Occasional  or  Mass  Meeting. 

(a)   Organization    275 

lb)  Adoption    of    Resolutions 277 

(c)  Committee  to  draft  Resolutions  280 

(d)  Semi-Permanent  Mass  Meeting  283 

70.  A  Permanent  Society. 

(a)  First   Meeting 284 

(b)  Second  Meeting 286 

(c)  Regular  Meeting 291 

71.  Meeting  of  a  Convention. 

An  Organized  Convention 292 

A  Convention  not  yet  Organized  296 

Art.  XIII. — Legal  Rights  of  Assemblies  and 
Trial  of  Their  Members. 
§  72.  Right    of    an    Assembly    to    Punish 

its  Members 299 

73.  Right  of  an  Assembly  to  Eject  any 

one  from  its  Place  of  Meeting...   299 

74.  Rights  of  Ecclesiastical  Tribunals..   300 

75.  Trial  of  Members  of  Societies 302 

Plan  for  Study  of  Parliamentary  Law. 

Introduction    305 

Lesson  Outlines 308 

Index 313 


(a) 
(b) 


ORDER  OF  PRECEDENCE  OF  MOTIONS. 

The  ordinary  motions  rank  as  follows,  the 
lowest  in  rank  being  at  the  bottom  and  the 
highest  at  the  top  of  the  list.  When  any  one  of 
them  is  immediately  pending  the  motions 
above  it  in  the  list  are  in  order,  and  those 
below  are  out  of  order.  Those  marked  (^) 
require  a  ^  vote  for  their  adoption  ;  the  others 
require  only  a  majority. 

Fix   the   Time   to   which   to    Adjourn" 

(when  privileged).*  t 
Adjourn    (when   privileged). t 
Take  a  Recess  (when  privileged).*  f 
Raise  a  Question  of  Privilege. 
Call  for  the  Orders  of  the  Day. 


73 

to 


t/i 


Lay  on  the  Table. 
Previous  Question  (2/3). 
Limit    or    Extend    Limits    of    Debate 
(2/3).* 

^Postpone  to  a  Certain  Time.* 
Commit  or  Refer.* 
Amend.* 
Postpone  Indefinitely. 

A  Main  Motion.* 

*  Can  be  amended  :  the  others  cannot  be  amended. 

t  The  first  three  motions  are  not  always  privi- 
leged. To  Fix  the  Time  to  zvhich  to  Adjourn  is 
privileged  only  when  made  while  another  question 
is  pending,  and  in  an  assembly  that  has  made  no 
provision  for  another  meeting  on  the  same  or  the 
next  day.  To  Adjourn  loses  its  privileged  charac- 
ter and  is  a  main  motion  if  in  any  way  qualified, 
or  if  its  effect,  if  adopted,  is  to  dissolve  the  as- 
sembly without  any  provision  for  its  meeting 
again.  To  Take  a  Recess  is  privileged  only  when 
made  while  other  business  is  pending. 
5 


TABLE  OF   RULES 


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TABLE  OF   RULES  II 


EXPLANATION      OF      THE      TABLE      OF 
RULES    RELATING    TO    MOTIONS. 

Every  one  expecting  to  take  an  active  part  in 
meetings  of  a  deliberative  assembly  should  be- 
come sufficiently  familiar  with  the  Order  of 
Precedence  of  Motions,  page  5.  and  the  Table  of 
Rules,  pages  6-10.  to  be  able  to  refer  to  them 
quickly.  This  familiarity  can  only  be  acquired  by 
actual  practice  in  referring  to  these  tables  and 
finding  the  rulings  on  the  various  points  covered 
by  them  in  regard  to  various  motions.  These  six 
pages  contain  an  epitome  of  parliamentary  law. 
The  Order  of  Precedence  of  Motions  should  be 
committed  to  memory,  as  it  contains  all  of  the 
privileged  and  subsidiary  motions,  12  in  number, 
arranged  in  their  order  of  rank,  and  shows  in  re- 
gard to  each  motion  whether  it  can  be  debated  or 
amended,  and  what  vote  it  requires,  and  under 
what  circumstances  it  can  be  made. 

In  the  Table  of  Rules  the  headings  to  the 
8  columns  are  rules  or  principles  which  are  ap- 
plicable to  all  original  main  motions,  and  should 
be  memorized.  They  are  as  follows:  (1)  Original 
Main  Motions  are  debatable;  (2)  debate  must  be 
confined  to  the  immediately  pending^  question; 
(3)  they  can  be  amended;  (4)  all  subsidiary  mo- 
tions can  be  applied  to  them:  (5)  they  can  be 
reconsidered:  (6)  they  require  only  a  majority 
vote  for  their  adoption;  (7)  they  must  be  sec- 
onded; and  (8)  they  are  not  in  order  when 
another  has  the  floor.  Whenever  any  of  the_44 
motions  in  the  Table  differs  from  a  main  motion 
in  regard  to  any  of  these  rules,  the  exception  is 
indicated  by  a  star  (*)  or  a  figure  in  the  proper 
column  opposite  that  motion.  A  star  shows  that 
the  exact  opposite  of  the  rule  at  the  head  of  the 
column  applies  to  the  motion.  A  figure  refers  to 
a  note  which  explains  the  extent  of  the  excep- 
tion. A  blank  shows  that  the  rule  at  the  head  of 
the  column  applies,  and  therefore  that  the  motion 
is    in    this    respect    exactly    like    a    main    motion. 


12  TABLE  OF  RULES 

Some  of  the  motions  are  followed  by  figures  not 
in  the  columns;  these  figures  refer  to  notes  giving 
useful  information  in  regard  to  these  motions. 

The  Table  of  Rules  is  constructed  upon  the 
theory  that  it  is  best  to  learn  the  general  princi- 
ples of  parliamentary  law  as  applied  to  original 
main  motions,  and  then  to  note  in  what  respects 
each  other  motion  is  an  exception  to  these  gen- 
eral rules.  Thus,  the  motion  to  postpone  defi- 
nitely, or  to  a  certain  time,  has  no  stars  or  figures 
opposite  it,  and  therefore  it  is  subject  to  all  of 
the  above  8  rules  the  same  as  any  main  motion: 
to  postpone  indefinitely  has  two  stars  and  the 
number  13  opposite  to  it,  showing  that  the  rules 
at  the  head  of  these  three  columns  do  not  apply 
to  this  motion.  The  first  star  shows  that  debate 
is  not  confined  to  the  motion  to  postpone  in- 
definitely, but  that  the  main  motion  is  also  open 
to  debate;  the  second  star  shows  that  the  motion 
to  postpone  indefinitely  cannot  be  amended;  and 
the  number  13  refers  to  a  note  which  shows  that 
a  negative  vote  on  this  motion  cannot  be  recon- 
sidered. 

As  has  previously  been  stated,  a  star  shows 
that  the  motion,  instead  of  being  subject  to  the 
rule  at  the  head  of  the  column,  is  subject  to  a 
rule  exactly  the  reverse.  Stars  in  the  various 
columns,  therefore,  mean  that  the  motions  are 
subject  to  the  following  rules:  (1)  undebatable; 
(2)  opens  main  question  to  debate;  (3)  cannot  be 
amended;  (4)  no  subsidiary  motion  can  be  ap- 
plied; (5)  cannot  be  reconsidered;  (6)  requires  a 
two-thirds  vote;  (7)  does  not  require  to  be  sec- 
onded; and  (8)  in  order  when  another  has  the 
floor. 


PREFACE. 


A  work  on  parliamentary  law  is  needed,  based,  in 
its  general  principles,  upon  the  rules  and  practice  of 
Congress,  but  adapted,  in  its  details,  to  the  use.of  ordi- 
nary societies.  Such  a  work  should  give  not  only  the 
methods  of  organizing  and  conducting  meetings,  the 
duties  of  officers,  and  names  of  ordinary  motions,  but 
also  a  systematic  statement  in  reference  to  each  mo- 
tion, as  to  its  object  and  effect;  whether  it  can  be 
amended  or  debated;  if  debatable,  the  extent  to  which 
it  opens  the  main  question  to  debate  ;  the  circumstances 
under  which  it  can  be  made,  and  what  other  motions 
can  be  made  while  it  is  pending.  Robert's  Rules  of 
Order  (published  in  1876,  slight  additions  being  made 
in  1893)  was  prepaied  with  a  hope  of  supplying  the 
above  information  in  a  condensed  and  systematic  form, 
each  rule  being  complete  in  itself,  or  giving  references 
to  every  section  that  in  any  way  qualifies  it,  so  that  a 
stranger  to  the  work  can  refer  to  any  special  subject 
with  safety. 

The  fact  that  during  these  thirty-nine  years  a  half 
million  copies  of  these  Rules  have  been  published 
would  indicate  that  there  is  a  demand  for  a  work  of 
this  kind.  But  the  constant  inquiries  from  all  sections 
of  the  country  for  information  concerning  proceedings 
in  deliberative  assemblies  that  is  not  contained  in  Rules 
of  Order,  seems  to  demand  a  revision  and  enlargement 
of  the  manual.  To  meet  this  want,  the  work  has  been 
thoroughly  revised  and  enlarged,  and,  to  avoid  confu- 
sion with  the  old  Rules,  is  published  under  the  title  of 
"Robert's  Rules  of  Order  Revised." 

The  object  of  Rules  of  Order  is  to  assist  an  assem- 
bly to  accomplish  in  the  best  possible  manner  the  work 
for  which  it  was  designed.  To  do  this  it  is  necessary 
to  restrain  the  individual  somewhat,  as  the  right  of  an 
individual,  in  any  community,  to  do  what  he  pleases,  is 
incompatible  with  the  interests  of  the  whole.  Where 
there  is  no  law,  but  every  man  does  what  is  right  in 

13 


14  PREFACE 

his  own  eyes,  there  is  the  least  of  real  libert\\  Expe- 
rience has  shown  the  importance  of  definiteness  in  the 
law ;  and  in  this  country,  where  customs  are  so  slightly 
established  and  the  published  manuals  of  parliamen- 
tary practice  so  conflicting,  no  society  should  attempt 
to  conduct  business  without  having  adopted  some  work 
upon  the  subject  as  the  authority  in  all  cases  not 
covered  by  its  own  special  rules. 

While  it  is  important  that  an  assembly  has  good 
rules,  it  is  more  important  that  it  be  not  without  some 
rules  to  govern  its  proceedings.  It  is  much  more  im- 
portant, for  instance,  that  an  assembly  has  a  rule 
determining  the  rank  of  the  motion  ^o  postpone  in- 
definitely, than  that  it  gives  this  motion  the  highest 
rank  of  all  subsidiary  motions  except  to  lay  on  the 
table,  as  in  the  U.  S.  Senate ;  or  gives  it  the  lowest 
rank,  as  in  the  U.  S.  House  of  Representatives ;  or 
gives  it  equal  rank  with  the  previous  question,  to  post- 
pone definitel}-,  and  to  commit,  so  that  if  one  is  pend- 
ing none  of  the  others  may  be  moved,  as  under  the  old 
parliamentary  law.  This  has  been  well  expressed  by 
one  of  the  greatest  of  English  writers  on  parliamen- 
tary law :  "Whether  these  forms  be  in  all  cases  the 
most  rational  or  not  is  really  not  of  so  great  impor- 
tance. It  is  much  more  material  that  there  should  be 
a  rule  to  go  by  than  what  that  rule  is ;  that  there  may 
be  a  uniformity  of  proceeding  in  business,  not  subject 
to  the  caprice  of  the  chairman  or  captiousness  of  the 
members.  It  is  very  material  that  order,  decency,  and 
regularitv  be  preserved  in  a  dignified  public  body." 

H.  M.  R. 

February,  1915. 


INTRODUCTION. 


PARLIAMENTARY  LAW. 


Parliamentary  Law  refers  originally  to  the  cus- 
toms and  rules  for  conducting  business  in  the  English 
Parliament;  and  thence  to  the  usages  of  deliberative 
assemblies  in  general.  In  England  these  usages  of 
Parliament  form  a  part  of  the  unwritten  law  of  the 
land,  and  in  our  own  legislative  bodies  they  are  of 
authority  in  all  cases  where  they  do  not  conflict  with 
existing  rules  or  precedents. 

But  as  a  people  we  have  not  the  respect  w^hich  the 
English  have  for  customs  and  precedents,  and  are 
always  ready  for  such  innovations  as  we  think  are 
improvements ;  hence  changes  have  been  and  are 
constantly  being  made  in  the  written  rules  which  our 
legislative  bodies  have  found  best  to  adopt.  As  each 
house  adopts  its  own  rules,  the  result  is  that  the  tw^o 
houses  of  the  same  legislature  do  not  always  agree  in 
their  practice;  even  in  Congress  the  order  of  prece- 
dence of  motions  is  not  the  same  in  both  houses,  and 
the  previous  question  is  admitted  in  the  House  of 
Representatives  but  not  in  the  Senate.  As  a  conse- 
quence of  this,  the  exact  method  of  con<lucting  busi- 
ness in  any  particular  legislative  body  is  to  be  obtained 
only  from  the  Legislative  Manual  of  that  body. 

The  vast  number  of  societies — political,  literar}% 
scientific,  benevolent,  and  religious — formed  all  over 
the  land,  though  not  legislative,  are  deliberative  in 
character,  and  must  have  some  system  of  conducting 
business  and  some  rules  to  govern  their  proceedings, 
and  are  necessarily  subject  to  the  common  parliamen- 
tary law  where  it  does  not  conflict  with  their  own 
special  rules.  But  as  their  knowledge  of  parliamentary 
law  has  been  obtained  from  the  usages  in  this  country, 
rather  than  from  the  customs  of   Parliament,  it  has 

IS 


l6  INTRODUCTION 

resulted  that  these  societies  have  followed  in  part  the 
customs  of  our  own  legislative  bodies,  and  our  people 
have  thus  been  educated  under  a  system  of  parliamen- 
tary law  which  is  peculiar  to  this  country,  and  yet  so 
well  established  as  to  supersede  the  English  parlia- 
mentary law  as  the  common  law  of  ordinary  delibera- 
tive assemblies. 

The  practice  of  the  National  House  of  Representa- 
tives should  have  the  same  force  in  this  country  as 
the  usages  of  the  House  of  Commons  have  in  England, 
in  determining  the  general  principles  of  the  common 
parliamentary  law  of  the  land,  were  it  not  for  the  fact 
that  while  the  English  Parliament  has  continued  to 
be  a  strictly  deliberative  assembly,  the  business  of  our 
House  of  Representatives  has  grown  so  enormously 
that  it  has  been  obliged  to  make  such  changes  in  its 
rules  and  practice  as  will  allow  the  majority  to  sup- 
press the  debate,  if  there  has  been  previous  debate, 
and  if  there  has  been  none,  to  limit  the  debate  to  forty 
minutes  ;  and  also  to  suppress  a  question  for  the  session 
even  without  any  debate.  These  deviations  from  the 
old  parliamentary  law,  while  necessary  in  the  House 
of  Representatives,  are  in  violation  of  the  fundamental 
right  of  a  deliberative  assembly  to  have  questions  thor- 
oughly discussed  before  it  is  called  upon  to  take  action 
upon  them,  unless  a  large  majority,  at  least  two-thirds, 
is  prepared  to  act  at  once.  In  ordinary  deliberative 
assemblies  the  right  to  debate  questions  before  taking 
final  action  upon  them  should  never  be  suppressed  by 
less  than  a  two-thirds  vote,  and  the  motion  to  lay  on 
the  table  should  be  used  only  for  its  legitimate  parlia- 
mentary purpose  of  laying  aside  a  question  temporarily. 

Where  the  practice  of  Congress  dififers  from  that  of 
Parliament,  the  common  law  of  this  country  usually 
follows  the  practice  of  Congress.  Thus,  in  every 
American  deliberative  assembly  having  no  rules  for 
conducting  business,  the  motion  to  adjourn,  when  it 
does  not  dissolve  the  assembly,  would  be  decided  to 
be  undebatable,  as  in  Congress,  the  English  parHa- 
mentary  law  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding;  so  if  the 
previous  question  were  negatived,  the  debate  upon  the 
subject  would  continue,  as  in  Congress,  whereas  in 
Parliament   the    subject   would   be   immediately   dis- 


PARLIAMENTARY   LAW  1/ 

missed ;  so,  too,  the  previous  question  could  be  moved 
when  there  was  before  the  assembly  a  motion  either 
to  commit,  or  to  postpone  definitely  or  indefinitely, 
just  as  in  Congress,  notwithstanding  that,  according  to 
English  parliamentary  law,  -the  previous  question  could 
not  be  moved  under  such  circumstances. 

The  old  common  parliamentary  law  gives  the  same 
rank  to  the  motions  for  the  previous  question,  to  post- 
pone definitely,  to  commit,  and  to  postpone  indefinitely, 
so  that  no  one  of  them  can  be  moved  while  another 
one  of  them  is  pending;  the  House  makes  them  rank 
in  the  order  just  named;  while  the  Senate  does  not 
admit  the  motion  for  the  previous  question,  and  makes 
to  postpone  indefinitely  outrank  all  the  others.  The 
practice  of  the  House  in  this  matter  establishes  the 
parliamentary  law  of  this  country,  as  it  does  in  all 
cases  where  its  practice  is  not  due  to  the  great  quan- 
tity of  its  business  or  the  necessities  of  party  govern- 
ment. This  may  be  illustrated  by  the  motions  to  lay 
on  the  table  and  the  previous  question.  The  House  of 
Representatives  has  completely  changed  the  use  of  the 
motion  to  lay  on  the  table  from  that  of  merely  laying 
aside  a  question  until  the  assembly  chooses  to  resume 
its  consideration  [see  foot  note,  28],  to  a  motion  to  kill 
the  pending  proposition.  To  make  it  more  effective 
for  this  purpose,  they  have  allowed  it  to  be  made  be- 
fore the  member  reporting  a  bill  from  the  committee 
is  allowed  to  speak,  and  when  a  question  is  laid  upon 
the  table  it  cannot  be  taken  up  except  by  suspending 
the  rules,  which  requires  a  two-thirds  vote.  For  rea- 
sons previously  given,  such  rules  are  necessary  in 
Congress,  but  in  ordinary  assemblies  they  would  do 
more  harm  than  good.  The  same  vote  should  be 
required  (two-thirds  vote)  to  stop  debate  and  bring 
the  assembly  to  a  vote  on  the  final  disposition  of  the 
question,  whether  the  intention  is  to  adopt  or  to  reject 
the  proposition.  The  previous  question  and  the  mo- 
tion to  lay  on  the  table  require  the  same  vote  in  Con- 
gress, and  should  in  all  assemblies  where  to  lay  on 
the  table  is  used  for  killing  propositions. 

The  modifications  made  by  the  House  in  regard  to 
the  previous  question  have  made  that  motion  extremely 
simple    and    useful,    and    its   practice    establishes    the 


l8  INTRODUCTION 

parliamentary  law  of  the  country  as  to  the  previous 
question,  except  in  respect  to  its  being  ordered  by  a 
majority  vote  and  forty  minutes'  debate  being  allowed 
after  it  has  been  ordered,  if  the  proposition  has  not 
been  previously  debated.  It  is  necessary  in  Congress 
for  the  majority  to  have  the  power  to  close  debate, 
but,  such  a  power  being  in  conflict  with  the  funda- 
mental rights  of  a  deliberative  assembly,  Congress  has 
modified  it  so  as  not  to  cut  off  debate  entirely.  In  an 
ordinary  assembly,  with  sessions  not  exceeding  two  or 
three  hours,  it  should,  and  it  does,  have  the  power  by 
a  two-thirds  vote  to  close  debate  instantly,  just  as  by 
the  same  vote  it  may  suspend  the  rules. 

In  matters  of  detail,  the  rules  of  the  House  of 
Representatives  are  adapted  to  the  peculiar  wants  of 
that  body,  and  are  of  no  authority  in  any  other  assem- 
bly. No  one,  for  instance,  would  accept  the  following 
House  of  Representatives  rules  as  common  parliamen- 
tary law  in  this  country :  That  the  chairman,  in  case 
of  disorderly  conduct,  would  have  the  power  to  order 
the  galleries  to  be  cleared ;  that  any  fifteen  members 
would  be  authorized  to  compel  the  attendance  of  ab- 
sent members ;  that  each  member  would  be  limited  in 
debate  upon  any  question  to  one  hour ;  and  that  the 
motion  to  suspend  the  rules  can  only  be  entertained  on 
the  first  and  third  Mondays  of  each  month.  These 
examples  are  sufficient  to  show  the  absurdity  of  the 
idea  that  the  rules  of  Congress  in  all  things  determine 
the  common  parliamentary  law. 

While  some  of  the  rules  of  Congress  are  adapted 
only  to  legislative  assemblies,  and  others  only  to  the 
House  that  adopts  them,  yet  its  rules  and  practice, 
except  where  manifestly  unsuited  to  ordinary  delib- 
erative assemblies,  should,  and  do  determine  the 
parliamentary  law  of  the  country.  The  people  of  the 
United  States  will  never  accept  the  rules  and  practice 
of  the  legislature,  or  of  deliberative  assemblies,  of 
any  state,  or  even  of  any  section  of  the  country,  as  of 
equal  authority  with  the  practice  of  the  National  Con- 
gress in  determining  the  parliamentary  law  for  the 
whole  country. 

Since,  however,  the  sessions  of  Congress  last  from 
three  to  six  months,  and  at  times  to  nearly  a  year, 


PARLIAMENTARY   LAW  I9 

whereas  the  great  majority  of  ordinary  deliberative 
assemblies  have  sessions  lasting  not  more  than  two  or 
three  hours ;  and  since  the  quorum  in  Congress  is  a 
majority  of  the  members,  while  in  most  societies  it  is 
less  than  one-fifth,  and  often  less  than  one-tenth,  of 
the  members;  and  since  the  members  of  Congress  are 
paid  to  devote  all  their  time  during  a  session  to  the 
business  of  Congress,  and  can  be  compelled  to  attend, 
whereas  in  ordinary  assemblies  the  members  have 
other  duties  and  their  attendance  is  simply  voluntary; 
and  as  the  work  of  Congress  is  enormous  and  is 
mostly  done  by  standing  committees,  of  which  there 
are  fifty-six,  or  in  committee  of  the  whole,  while  in 
ordinary  assemblies  the  assembly  itself  attends  to  most 
of  its  business,  and  the  rest  is  done  usually  by  special 
committees  rather  than  by  standing  committees  or  in 
committee  of  the  whole — as  these  differences  exist,  it 
is  evident  that  the  rules  and  practice  of  Congress  re- 
quire to  be  modified  in  some  respects  to  adapt  them  to 
ordinary  deliberative  assemblies.  Sometimes  the  old 
common  parliamentary  law  is  better  adapted  to  ordi- 
nary societies,  as  with  the  motion  to  lay  on  the  table. 
Where  the  two  houses  differ,  sometimes  the  Senate 
practice  is  better  adapted  to  ordinary  assemblies,  as 
in  allowing  each  member  to  speak  twice  to  the  same 
question  each  day;  while  in  allowing  the  previous 
question  and  in  making  the  motion  to  postpone  in- 
definitely the  lowest  of  subsidiary  motions,  the  practice 
of  the  House  seems  better  adapted  to  ordinary  assem- 
blies. The  House  allows  a  majority  to  order  the  pre- 
vious question,  but  if  there  has  been  no  debate  on  the 
question,  forty  minutes'  debate  is  permitted  after  the 
previous  question  has  been  ordered.  This  rule  is  not 
adapted  to  assemblies  whose  entire  session  may  not 
last  two  hours.  They  should  have  power  to  close 
debate  instantly  by  a  two-thirds  vote.  This  is  in 
accordance  with  the  general  principle  that  the  assembly 
by  a  two-thirds  vote  may  suspend  the  rules,  even  the 
rule  permitting  debate. 

As  there  would  naturally  be  differences  of  opinion 
as  to  the  application  of  the  above  principles,  and  it  is 
important  that  the  law  should  be  definite,  every  delib- 
erative assembly  should  imitate  our  legislative  bodies 


20  INTRODUCTION 

and  adopt  some  Rules  of  Order  for  the  conduct  of  its 
business.* 

PLAN  OF  THE  WORK. 

These  Rules  are  prepared  to  meet  partially  this  want 
in  deliberative  assemblies  that  are  not  legislative  in 
their  character.  They  have  been  made  sufficiently 
complete  to  answer  for  the  rules  of  an  assembly  until 
it  sees  fit  to  adopt  special  rules  conflicting  with  and 
superseding  any  of  the  rules  of  detail,  such  as  the 
Order  of  Business,  etc.  They  are  based  upon  the  rules 
and  practice  of  Congress  so  far  as  these  are  adapted 
to  ordinary  deliberative  assemblies  with  short  sessions 
and  comparatively  small  quorums,  as  has  just  been 
explained.  In  cases  where  these  Rules  differ  from  the 
practice  of  Congress,  usually  the  congressional  rule 
will  be  found  in  a  foot  note.  The  foot  notes  need  not 
be  referred  to  for  any  other  purpose  than  to  ascertain 
the  practice  of  Congress. 

This  Manual  contains  a  Table  of  Contents,  Table  of 
Rules,  Part  I,  Part  II,  Lesson  Outlines,  and  the  Index. 

Table  of  Contents.  This  gives  a  clear,  system- 
atic idea  of  the  arrangement  of  subjects  treated  in 
the  Manual. 

Order  of  Precedence  of  Motions  and  Table  of 
Rules.  A  careful  study  of  these  tables  so  as  to 
be  able  to  use  them  quickly  will  enable  any  one 
in  an  emergency  to  ascertain  whether  a  motion  is  in 
order,  and  whether  it  may  be  debated,  or  amended,  or 
reconsidered,  or  requires  a  second,  or  a  two-thirds 
vole,  or  is  in  order  when  another  member  has  the  floor. 

Part  I,  comprising  the  main  part  of  the  Manual, 
contains  a  set  of  Rules  of  Order  systematically  ar- 
ranged, as  shown  in  the  Table  of  Contents.  It  begins 
with  showing  how  business  is  introduced  in  a  delib- 
erative assembly,  and  then  follows  it  step  by  step  until 
the  vote  is  taken  and  announced.     The  next  section, 

*  Any  society  adopting  these  Rules  of  Order  stiould 
be  governed  by  them  in  all  cases  to  which  they  are  ap- 
plicable, and  in  which  they  are  not  inconsistent  with  the 
by-laws  and  rules  of  order  of  the  society.  [See  p.  268 
for  the  form  of  a  rule  covering  this  case.]  Its  own  rules 
should  include  all  of  the  cases  where  it  is  desirable  to 
vary  from  th«  rules  in  the  Manual,  and  especially  should 
provide  for  a  Quorum  [64]  and  an  Order  of  Business 
[65],  as  suggested  in  this  Manual. 


PLAN  OF  THE   WORK  21 

10,  shows  what  is  the  proper  motion  to  use  to  accom- 
plish certain  objects,  referring  at  the  same  time  to  the 
section  where  the  motion  will  be  found  fully  treated. 
Next,  the  motions  are  classified  as  usual  into  Privi- 
leged, Incidental,  Subsidiary,  and  Main,  and  the  gen- 
eral characteristics  of  each  class  given. 

Then  each  class  is  taken  up  in  order,  beginning  with 
the  highest  privileged  motion,  and  a  section  is  devoted 
to  each  motion,  including  some  motions  that  are  not 
classified.  Each  of  these  twenty-six  sections  is  com- 
plete in  itself,  so  that  one  unfamiliar  with  the  work 
need  not  be  misled  in  examining  any  particular  subject. 
Cross-references,  in  heavy-face  type,  are  used  wher- 
ever it  was  thought  they  would  be  helpful,  the  refer- 
ences being  to  sections,  the  number  of  the  section 
being  placed  at  the  top  of  each  page.  The  following 
is  stated  in  reference  to  each  motion,  except  some  of 
the  incidental  ones,  the  first  six  points  being  men- 
tioned at  the  beginning  of  each  section : 

(1)  Of  what  motions  it  takes  precedence  (that  is, 
what  motions  may  be  pending  and  yet  it  be  in  order  to 
make  and  consider  this  motion), 

(2)  To  what  motions  it  yields  (that  is,  what  mo- 
tions may  be  made  and  considered  while  this  motion  is 
pending). 

(3)  Whether  it  is  debatable  or  not  (all  motions 
being  debatable  unless  the  contrary  is  stated). 

(4)  Whether  it  can  be  amended  or  not. 

(5)  In  case  the  motion  can  have  no  subsidiary 
motion  applied  to  it,  the  fact  is  stated  [see  Adjourn, 
17,  for  an  example  :  the  meaning  is,  that  the  particular 
motion,  to  adjourn,  cannot  be  laid  on  the  table,  post- 
poned, committed,  or  amended,  &c.]. 

(6)  The  z'ote  required  for  its  adoption,  when  it  is 
not  a  majority. 

(7)  The  form  of  making  the  motion  when  peculiar. 

(8)  The  form  of  stating  and  putting  the  question 
when  peculiar. 

(9)  The  object  of  the  motion  when  not  apparent. 
(10)   The  effect  of  the  motion  if  adopted,  whenever 

it  could  possibly  be  misunderstood. 

Part  II  contains  an  explanation  of  the  methods 
of  organizing  and  conducting  different  kinds  of  meet- 


22  INTRODUCTION 

ings,  giving  the  words  used  by  the  chairman  and 
speakers  in  making  and  putting  various  motions ;  and 
also  a  few  pages  devoted  to  the  legal  rights  of  delib- 
erative assemblies  and  ecclesiastical  tribunals,  and  to 
the  trial  of  members  of  such  societies.  The  beginner, 
especially,  will  find  it  useful  to  read  sections  69-71  in 
connection  with  sections  1-10^  thus  obtaining  correct 
ideas  as  to  the  methods  of  conducting  business  in 
deliberative  assemblies. 

The  Plan  for  the  Study  of  Parliamentary  Law, 
pages  305-312,  gives  some  helpful  suggestions  to  clubs 
and  individuals  wishing  to  study  parliamentary  law, 
together  with  a  series  of  eighteen  Lesson  Outlines. 

The  Index  refers  to  pages,  not  sections,  and  at 
the  beginning  are  given  some  suggestions  as  to  the 
best  method  of  finding  anything  in  these  Rules. 


DEFINITIONS. 

In  addition  to  the  terms  defined  above  (taking  prece- 
dence of,  yielding  to,  and  applying  to  [see  p.  21]), 
there  are  other  terms  that  are  liable  to  be  misunder- 
stood, to  which  attention  is  called. 

Accepting  a  report  is  the  same  as  adopting  it,  and 
should  not  be  confused  with  receiving  a  report,  which 
is  allowing  it  to  be  presented  to  the  assembly. 

Assembly.  This  term  is  used  for  the  deliberative 
assembly,  and  should  be  replaced  in  motions,  etc.,  by 
the  proper  name  of  the  body,  as  society,  club,  church, 
board,  convention,  etc. 

The  Chair  means  the  presiding  officer,  whether 
temporary-  or  permanent. 

The  terms  Congress  and  H.  R.,  when  used  in  this 
Manual,  refer  to  the  U.  S.  House  of  Representatives. 

Meeting  and  Session.  I^Ieeting  is  used  in  this 
Manual  for  an  assembling  of  the  members  of  a  de- 
liberative body  for  any  length  of  time  during  which 
they  do  not  separate  for  longer  than  a  few  minutes, 
as  the  morning  meeting,  or  the  evening  meeting,  of  a 
convention.  In  a  society  with  rules  providing  for 
regular^  meetings  every  week,  or  month,  etc.,  each  of 
these  regular  meetings  is  a  separate  session.  A  called 
or  special   meeting  is  a   distinct   session.     Should  a 


DEFINITIONS  23 

regular  or  special  meeting  adjourn  to  meet  at  another 
time,  the  adjourned  meeting  is  a  continuation  of  the 
session,  not  a  separate  one;  the  two  meetings  consti- 
tute one  session.  In  the  case  of  a  convention  holding 
a  meeting  every  year  or  two,  or  rather  a  series  of 
meetings  lasting  several  days,  the  entire  series  of 
meetings  constitute  one  session.     [See  63.] 

Pending  and  Immediately  Pending.  A  question  is 
said  to  be  pending  when  it  has  been  stated  by  the  chair 
and  has  not  yet  been  disposed  of  either  permanently 
or  temporarily.  When  several  questions  are  pending, 
the  one  last  stated  by  the  chair,  and  therefore  the  one 
to  be  first  disposed  of,  is  said  to  be  the  immediately 
pending  question. 

A  Main  motion  is  one  that  is  made  to  bring  before 
the  assembly  any  particular  subject.  No  main  motion 
can  be  made  when  another  motion  is  pending. 

A  Subsidiary  motion  is  one  that  may  be  applied  to 
a  main  motion,  and  to  certain  other  motions,  for  the 
purpose  of  modifying  them,  delaying  action  upon 
them  or  otherwise  disposing  of  them. 

Privileged  motions  are  such  that,  while  having  no 
relation  to  the  pending  question,  are  of  such  urgency 
or  importance  as  to  require  them  to  take  precedence 
of  all  other  motions. 

An  Incidental  motion  is  one  that  arises  out  of  an- 
other question  which  is  pending  or  has  just  been  pend- 
ing, and  must  be  decided  before  the  pending  question, 
or  before  other  business  is  taken  up.  Incidental  mo- 
tions have  no  fixed  rank  but  take  precedence  of  the 
questions  out  of  which  they  arise,  w^hether  those  ques- 
tions are  main  or  subsidiary  or  privileged. 

The  Previous  Question  does  not  refer,  as  its  name 
would  imply,  to  the  previous  question,  but  is  the  name 
given  to  the  motion  to  close  debate  and  at  once  to  take 
the  vote  on  the  immediately  pending  question  and  such 
other  questions  as  are  specified  in  the  motion. 

A  Substitute  is  an  amendment  where  an  entire  reso- 
lution, or  section,  or  one  or  more  paragraphs,  is  struck 
out  and  another  resolution,  or  section,  or  one  or  more 
paragraphs,  is  inserted  in  its  place. 

Plurality,  Majority,  and  Two-thirds  Vote.  In  an 
election  a  candidate  has  a  plurality  when  he  has  a 


24  INTRODUCTION 

larger  vote  than  any  other  candidate ;  he  has  a  ma- 
jority when  he  has  more  than  half  the  legal  votes 
cast,  ignoring  blanks.  In  an  assembly  a  plurality 
never  elects  except  by  virtue  of  a  rule  to  that  effect. 
A  majority  vote  when  used  in  these  rules  means  a 
majority  of  the  legal  votes  cast,  ignoring  blanks,  at 
a  legal  meeting,  a  quorum  being  present.  A  two- 
thirds  vote  is  two-thirds  of  the  votes  just  described. 
For  an  illustration  of  the  difference  between  a  two- 
thirds  vote,  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of  the  members  pres- 
ent, and  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of  the  members,  see  page 
204. 

TO   THE  READER. 

The  reader  is  advised  to  read  this  Manual  in 
the  order  suggested  in  the  Plan  for  the  siudy  of 
Parliamentary  Law,  page  305. 


PART  I. 


RULES  OF  ORDER. 


Art.    I.      How    Business   Is   Conducted   in 
Deliberative  Assemblies. 

PAGE 

1.  Introduction   of  Business 25 

2.  What  Precedes  Debate 26 

3.  Obtaining    the    Floor 27 

4.  Motions  and  Resolutions 33 

5.  Seconding  Motions 36 

6.  Stating  the   Question 38 

7.  Debate 38 

8.  Secondary    Motions 40 

9.  Putting    the    Question    and    Announcing 

the   Vote 40 

10.     Proper    Motions   to    Use   to    Accomplish 

Certain    Objects 43 

1.  Introduction  of  Business.  An  assem- 
bly having  been  organized  as  described  in  69, 
70,  71,  business  is  brought  before  it  either  by 
the  motion  of  a  member,  or  by  the  presenta- 
tion of  a  communication  to  the  assembly.  It 
is  not  usual  to  make  motions  to  receive  reports 
of  committees  or  communications  to  the  as- 
sembly. There  are  many  other  cases  in  the 
ordinary  routine  of  business  where  the  formal- 
ity of  a  motion  is  dispensed  with,  but  should 

25 


26  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  2 

any  member  object,  a  regular  motion  becomes 
necessary,  or  the  chair  may  put  the  question 
without  waiting  for  a  motion. 

2.  What  Precedes  Debate.  Before  any 
subject  is  open  to  debate  it  is  necessary,  first, 
that  a  motion  be  made  by  a  member  who  has 
obtained  the  floor ;  second,  that  it  be  seconded 
(with  certain  exceptions)  ;  and  third,  that  it 
be  stated  by  the  chair,  that  is,  by  the  presiding 
officer.  The  fact  that  a  motion  has  been  made 
and  seconded  does  not  put  it  before  the  as- 
sembly, as  the  chair  alone  can  do  that.  He 
must  either  rule  it  out  of  order,  or  state  the 
question  on  it  so  that  the  assembly  may  know 
what  is  before  it  for  consideration  and  action, 
that  is,  what  is  the  immediately  pending  ques- 
tion. If  several  questions  are  pending,  as  a 
resolution  and  an  amendment  and  a  motion  to 
postpone,  the  last  one  stated  by  the  chair  is 
the  immediately  pending  question. 

While  no  debate  or  other  motion  is  in  order 
after  a  motion  is  made,  until  it  is  stated  or 
ruled  out  of  order  by  the  chair,  yet  members 
may  suggest  modifications  of  the  motion,  and 
the  mover,  without  the  consent  of  the  sec- 
onder, has  the  right  to  make  such  modifica- 
tions as  he  pleases,  or  even  to  withdraw  his 
motion  entirely  before  the  chair  states  the 
question.  After  it  is  stated  by  the  chair  he 
can  d-o  neither  without  the  consent  of  the 
assembly  as  shown  in  27  (c).  A  little  informal 
consultation  before  the  question  is  stated  often 


§  3]  OBTAINLNG  THE   FLOOR  2^ 

saves  much  time,  but  the  chair  must  see  that 
this  privilege  is  not  abused  and  allowed  to 
run  into  debate.  When  the  mover  modifies 
his  motion  the  one  who  seconded  it  has  a  right 
to  withdraw  his  second. 

3.  Obtaining  the  Floor.  Before  a  mem- 
ber can  make  a  motion,  or  address  the  assem- 
bly in  debate,  it  is  necessary  that  he  should 
obtain  the  floor — that  is,  he  must  rise  after 
the  floor  has  been  yielded,  and  address  the 
presiding  officer  by  his  official  title,  thus,  "Mr. 
Chairman,"  or  *'Mr.  President,"  or  "Mr.  Mod- 
erator;"* or,  if  a  woman  (married  or  single), 
"Madam  Chairman,"  or  "Madam  President." 
If  the  assembly  is  large  so  that  the  member's 
name  may  be  unknown  to  the  chairman,  the 
member  should  give  his  name  as  soon  as  he 
catches  the  eye  of  the  chairman  after  address- 
ing him.  If  the  member  is  entitled  to  the 
floor,  as  shown  hereafter,  the  chairman  "rec- 
ognizes" him,  or  assigns  him  the  floor,  by 
announcing  his  name.  If  the  assembly  is  small 
and  the  members  are  known  to  each  other,  it  is 
not  necessary  for  the  member  to  give  his  name 
after  addressing  the  chair,  as  the  presiding 
officer  is  termed,  nor  is  it  necessary  for  the 
chair  to  do  more  than  bow  in  recognition  of 
his  having  the  floor.  If  a  member  rises  be- 
fore the  floor  has  been  yielded,  or  is  standing 
at  the  time,  he  cannot  obtain  the  floor  pro- 

•  "Brother  Moderator,"  or  "Brother  Chairman,"  im- 
plies that  the  speaker  is  also  a  moderator  or  chairman, 
and  should  not  be  used. 


28  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  3 

vided  any  one  else  rises  afterwards  and  ad- 
dresses the  chair.  It  is  out  of  order  to  be 
standing  when  another  has  the  floor,  and  the 
one  guilty  of  this  violation  of  the  rules  cannot 
claim  he  rose  first,  as  he  did  not  rise  after 
the  floor  had  been  yielded. 

Where  two  or  more  rise  about  the  same 
time  to  claim  the  floor,  all  other  things  being 
equal,  the  member  who  rose  first  after  the 
floor  had  been  yielded,  and  addressed  the  chair 
is  entitled  to  the  floor.  It  frequently  occurs, 
however,  that  where  more  than  one  person 
claims  the  floor  about  the  same  time,  the  in- 
terests of  the  assembly  require  the  floor  to 
be  assigned  to  a  claimant  that  was  not  the 
first  to  rise  and  address  the  chair.  There  are 
three  classes  of  such  cases  that  may  arise: 
(1)  When  a  debatable  question  is  immedi- 
ately pending;  (2)  when  an  undebatable  ques- 
tion is  immediately  pending;  (3)  when  no 
question  is  pending.  In  such  cases  the  chair 
in  assigning  the  floor  should  be  guided  by 
the  following  principles : 

(1)  When  a  Debatable  Question  is  Imme- 
diately Pending.  (a)  The  member  upon 
whose  motion  the  immediately  pending  debat- 
able question  was  brought  before  the  assembly 
is  entitled  to  be  recognized  as  having  the  floor 
(if  he  has  not  already  spoken  on  the  ques- 
tion) even  though  another  has  risen  first 
and  addressed  the  chair.  The  member  thus 
entitled  to  preference  in  recognition  in  case 


I 


§  3]  OBTAINING  THE   FLOOR  29 

of  a  committee's  report  is  the  reporting  mem- 
ber (the  one  who  presents  or  submits  the  re- 
port) ;  in  case  of  a  question  taken  from  the 
table,  it  is  the  one  who  moved  to  take  the 
question  from  the  table ;  in  case  of  the  motion 
to  reconsider,  it  is  the  one  who  moved  to  re- 
consider, and  who  is  not  necessarily  the  one 
who  calls  up  the  motion,  (b)  No  member 
who  has  already  had  the  floor  in  debate  on 
the  immediately  pending  question  is  again 
entitled  to  it  for  debate  on  the  same  question, 
provided  the  floor  is  claimed  by  one  who  has 
not  spoken  on  that  question,  (c)  As  the  in- 
terests of  the  assembly  are  best  subserved 
by  allowing  the  floor  to  alternate  between  the 
friends  and  enemies  of  a  measure,  the  chair- 
man, when  he  knows  which  side  of  a  question 
is  taken  by  each  claimant  of  the  floor,  and 
these  claims  are  not  determined  by  the  above 
principles,  should  give  the  preference  to  the 
one  opposed  to  the  last  speaker. 

(2)  When  an  Undehatable  Question  Is  Im- 
mediately Pending.  When  the  immediately 
pending  question  is  undebatable,  its  mover  has 
no  preference  to  the  floor,  which  should  be 
assigned  in  accordance  with  the  principles  laid 
down  under  {h)  in  paragraph  below. 

(3)  When  No  Question  Is  Pending,  (a) 
When  one  of  a  series  of  motions  has  been 
disposed  of,  and  there  is  no  question  actually 
pending,  the  next  of  the  series  has  the  right 
of  way,  and  the  chair  should  recognize  the 


30  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  3 

member  who  introduced  the  series  to  make 
the  next  motion,  even  though  another  has 
risen  first  and  addressed  the  chair.  In  fact 
no  other  main  motion  is  in  order  until  the 
assembly  has  disposed  of  the  series.  Thus, 
the  motion  to  lay  on  the  table,  properly  used, 
is  designed  to  lay  aside  a  question  temporarily, 
in  order  to  attend  to  some  more  urgent  busi- 
ness, and,  therefore,  if  a  question  is  laid  on 
the  table,  the  one  who  moved  to  lay  it  on  the 
table,  if  he  immediately  claims  the  floor,  is 
entitled  to  it  to  introduce  the  urgent  business 
even  though  another  has  risen  first.  So,  when 
the  rules  are  suspended  to  enable  a  motion  to 
be  made,  the  mover  of  the  motion  to  suspend 
the  rules  is  entitled  to  the  floor  to  make  the 
motion  for  which  the  rules  were  suspended, 
even  though  another  rose  first.  When  a  mem- 
ber moves  to  reconsider  a  vote  for  the  an- 
nounced purpose  of  amending  the  motion,  if 
the  vote  is  reconsidered  he  must  be  recognized 
in  preference  to  others  in  order  to  move  his 
amendment,  (b)  If,  when  no  question  is 
pending  and  no  series  of  motions  has  been 
started  that  has  not  been  disposed  of,  a  mem- 
ber rises  to  move  to  reconsider  a  vote,  or  to 
call  up  the  motion  to  reconsider  that  had  been 
previously  made,  or  to  take  a  question  from 
the  table  when  it  is  in  order,  he  is  entitled  to 
the  floor  in  preference  to  another  that  may 
have  risen  slightly  before  him  to  introduce  a 
main  motion,  provided  that  when  some  one 


§3]  OBTAINING  THE   FLOOR  3I 

rises  before  him  he,  on  rising,  states  the  pur- 
pose for  which  he  rises.  If  members,  rising 
to  make  the  above  mentioned  motions,  come 
into  competition  they  have  the  preference  in 
the  order  in  which  these  motions  have  just 
been  given  ;  first,  to  reconsider,  and  last,  to 
take  from  the  table.  When  a  motion  to  ap- 
point a  committee  for  a  certain  purpose,  or 
to  refer  a  subject  to  a  committee,  has  been 
adopted  no  new  subject  (except  a  privileged 
one)  can  be  introduced  until  the  assembly 
has  decided  all  of  the  related  questions  as  to 
the  number  of  the  committee,  and  as  to  how 
it  shall  be  appointed,  and  as  to  any  instruc- 
tions to  be  given  it.  In  this  case  the  one  who 
made  the  motion  to  appoint  the  committee  or 
refer  the  subject  to  a  committee  has  no  prefer- 
ence in  recognition.  If  he  had  wished  to  make 
the  other  motions  he  should  have  included 
them  all  in  his  first  motion. 

From  the  decision  of  the  chair  in  assigning 
the  floor  any  two  members  may  appeal,*  one 
making  the  appeal  and  the  other  seconding  it. 
Where  the  chair  is  in  doubt  as  to  who  is  en- 
titled to  the  floor,  he  may  allow  the  assembly 
to  decide  the  question  by  a  vote,  the  one  having 
the  largest  vote  being  entitled  to  the  floor. 

If  a  member  has  risen  to  claim  the  floor,  or 

*  In  the  U.  S.  House  of  Representatives  there  is  no 
appeal  from  the  decision  of  the  chair  as  to  who  is  en- 
titled to  the  floor,  nor  should  there  he  any  appeal  in 
large  mass  meetings,  as  the  best  Interests  of  the  assembly 
require  the  chair  to  be  given  more  power  in  such  large 
bodies. 


32  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§ 3 

has  been  assigned  the  floor,  and  calls  for  the 
question  are  made,  or  it  is  moved  to  adjourn, 
or  to  lay  the  question  on  the  table,  it  is  the 
duty  of  the  chair  to  suppress  the  disorder  and 
protect  the  member  who  is  entitled  to  the 
floor.  Except  by  general  consent,  a  motion 
cannot  be  made  by  one  who  has  not  been  rec- 
ognized by  the  chair  as  having  the  floor.  If 
it  is  made  it  should  not  be  recognized  by  the 
chair  if  any  one  afterwards  rises  and  claims 
the  floor,  thus  showing  that  general  consent 
has  not  been  given. 

In  Order  When  Another  Has  the  Floor. 
After  a  member  has  been  assigned  the  floor 
he  cannot  be  interrupted  by  a  member  or  the 
chairman,  except  by  (a)  a  motion  to  recon- 
sider; {h)  a  point  of  order;  (c)  an  objection 
to  the  consideration  of  the  question;  {d)  a  call 
for  the  orders  of  the  day  when  they  are  not 
being  conformed  to;  {e)  a  question  of  privi- 
lege; (/)  a  request  or  demand  that  the  ques- 
tion be  divided  when  it  consists  of  more  than 
one  independent  resolution  on  different  sub- 
jects; or  {g)  a  parliamentary  inquiry  or  a  re- 
quest for  information,  that  requires  immediate 
answer;  and  these  cannot  interrupt  him  after 
he  has  actually  commenced  speaking  unless 
the  urgency  is  so  great  as  to  justify  it.  The 
speaker  (that  is,  the  member  entitled  to  the 
floor)  does  not  lose  his  right  to  the  floor  by 
these  interruptions,  and  the  interrupting  mem- 
ber  does   not   obtain   the   floor  thereby,   and 


§4]  MOTIONS  AND  RESOLUTIONS  33 

after  they  have  been  attended  to,  the  chair 
assigns  him  the  floor  again.  So,  when  a  mem- 
ber submitting  a  report  from  a  committee  or 
offering  a  resolution,  hands  it  to  the  secretary 
to  be  read,  he  does  not  thereby  yield  his  right 
to  the  floor.  When  the  reading  is  finished  and 
the  chair  states  the  question,  neither  the  sec- 
retary nor  any  one  else  can  make  a  motion 
until  the  member  submitting  the  report,  or 
offering  the  resolution,  has  had  a  reasonable 
opportunity  to  claim  the  floor  to  which  he  is 
entitled,  and  has  not  availed  himself  of  his 
privilege.  If,  when  he  submitted  the  report, 
he  made  no  motion  to  accept  or  adopt  the  rec- 
ommendations or  resolutions,  he  should  re- 
sume the  floor  as  soon  as  the  report  is  read, 
and  make  the  proper  motion  to  carry  out  the 
recommendations,  after  which  he  is  entitled 
to  the  floor  for  debate  as  soon  as  the  question 
is  stated. 

4.  Motions  and  Resolutions.  A  motion 
is  a  proposal  that  the  assembly  take  certain 
action,  or  that  it  express  itself  as  holding  cer- 
tain views.  It  is  made  by  a  member's  obtain- 
ing the  floor  as  already  described  and  saying, 
"I  move  that"  (which  is  equivalent  to  saying, 
*'I  propose  that"),  and  then  stating  the  action 
he  proposes  to  have  taken.  Thus  a  member 
'*moves"  (proposes)  that  a  resolution  be 
adopted,  or  amended,  or  referred  to  a  com- 
mittee, or  that  a  vote  of  thanks  be  extended, 
etc. ;  or  ''That  it  is  the  sense  of  this  meeting 


34  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  4 

(or  assembly)  that  industrial  training,"  etc. 
Every  resolution  should  be  in  writing,  and  the 
presiding  officer  has  a  right  to  require  any 
main  motion,  amendment,  or  instructions  to  a 
committee  to  be  in  writing.  When  a  main 
motion  is  of  such  importance  or  length  as  to 
be  in  writing  it  is  usually  written  in  the  form 
of  a  resolution;  that  is,  beginning  with  the 
words,  ''Resolved,  That,"  the  word  ''Resolved'' 
being  underscored  (printed  in  italics)  and  fol- 
lowed by  a  comma,  and  the  word  "That"  be- 
ginning with  a  capital  *'T."  If  the  word  "Re- 
solved" were  replaced  by  the  words  "I  move," 
the  resolution  would  become  a  motion.  A 
resolution  is  always  a  main  motion.  In  some 
sections  of  the  country  the  word  "resolve"  is 
frequently  used  instead  of  "resolution."  In 
assemblies  with  paid  employees,  instructions 
given  to  employees  are  called  "orders"  in- 
stead of  "resolutions,"  and  the  enacting  word, 
"Ordered"  is  used  instead  of  "Resolved." 

When  a  member  wishes  a  resolution  adopted, 
after  having  obtained  the  floor,  he  says,  "I 
move  the  adoption  of  the  following  resolu- 
tion," or  "I  of^er  the  following  resolution," 
which  he  reads  and  hands  to  the  chair.  If  it 
is  desired  to  give  the  reasons  for  the  resolu- 
tion, they  are  usually  stated  in  a  preamble, 
each  clause  of  which  constitutes  a  paragraph 
beginning  with  "Whereas."  The  preamble  is 
always  amended  last,  as  changes  in  the  reso- 
lution may  require  changes  in  the  preamble. 


§  4j  MOTIONS    AND    RESOLUTIONS  35 

In  moving  the  adoption  of  a  resolution  the 
preamble  is  not  usually  referred  to,  as  it  is 
included  in  the  resolution.  But  when  the  pre- 
vious question  is  ordered  on  the  resolution  be- 
fore the  preamble  has  been  considered  for 
amendment,  it  does  not  apply  to  the  preamble, 
which  is  then  open  to  debate  and  amendment. 
The  preamble  should  never  contain  a  period, 
but  each  paragraph  should  close  with  a  comma 
or  semicolon,  followed  by  "and,"  except  the 
last  paragraph,  which  should  close  with  the 
word  ''therefore,"  or  "therefore,  be  it."  A 
resolution  should  avoid  periods  where  prac- 
ticable. Usually,  where  periods  are  necessary, 
it  is  better  to  separate  it  into  a  series  of  reso- 
lutions, in  which  case  the  resolutions  may  be 
numbered,  if  preferred,  by  preceding  them 
with  the  figures  1,  2,  etc. ;  or  it  may  retain 
the  form  of  a  single  resolution  with  several 
paragraphs,  each  beginning  with  "That,"  and 
these  may  be  numbered,  if  preferred,  by  plac- 
ing "First,"  "Second,"  etc.,  just  before  the 
word  "That."  The  following  form  will  serve 
as  a  guide  when  it  is  desired  to  give  the  rea- 
sons for  a  resolution : 

Whereas.  We  consider  that  suitable  recreation  is  a 
necessary  part  of  a  rational  educational  system;  and 

Whereas,  There  i?  no  public  ground  in  this  village 
where  our  school  children  can  play;  therefore, 

Resolved,  That  it  is  the  sense  of  this  meeting 
that  ample  play  grounds  should  be  immediately  pro- 
vided for  our  school  children. 

Resolved,    That  a  committee  of  five  be  appointed 


36  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  5 

by  the  chair  to  present  these  resolutions  to  the  vil- 
lage authorities  and  to  urge  upon  them  prompt 
action   in  the  matter. 

As  a  general  rule  no  member  can  make  two 
motions  at  a  time  except  by  general  consent. 
But  he  may  combine  the  motion  to  suspend  the 
rules  with  the  motion  for  whose  adoption  it 
was  made ;  and  the  motion  to  reconsider  a 
resolution  and  its  amendments ;  and  a  member 
may  offer  a  resolution  and  at  the  same  time 
move  to  make  it  a  special  order  for  a  specified 
time. 

5.  Seconding  Motions.  As  a  general 
rule,  with  the  exceptions  given  below,  every 
motion  should  be  seconded.  This  is  to  pre- 
vent time  being  consumed  in  considering  a 
question  that  only  one  person  favors,  and  con- 
sequently little  attention  is  paid  to  it  in  rou- 
tine motions.  Where  the  chair  is  certain  the 
motion  meets  with  general  favor,  and  yet 
members  are  slow  about  seconding  it,  he  may 
proceed  without  waiting  for  a  second.  Yet, 
any  one  may  make  a  point  of  order  that  the 
motion  has  not  been  seconded,  and  then  the 
chair  is  obliged  to  proceed  formally  and  call 
for  a  second.  The  better  way  when  a  motion 
is  not  at  once  seconded,  is  for  the  chair  to  ask, 
'*Is  the  motion  seconded?"  In  a  very  large 
hall  the  chair  should  repeat  the  motion  before 
calling  for  a  second  in  order  that  all  may  hear. 
After  a  motion  has  been  made  no  other  mo- 
tion is  in  order  until  the  chair  has  stated  the 


§5]  SECONDING    MOTIONS  37 

question  on  this  motion,  or  has  declared,  after 
a  reasonable  opportunity  has  been  given  for  a 
second,  that  the  motion  has  not  been  seconded, 
or  has  ruled  it  out  of  order.  Except  in  very 
small  assemblies  the  chair  cannot  assume  that 
members  know  what  the  motion  is  and  that 
it  has  not  been  seconded,  unless  he  states  the 
facts. 

A  motion  is  seconded  by  a  member's  saying, 
"I  second  the  motion,"  or  "I  second  it,"  which 
he  does  without  obtaining  the  floor,  and  in 
small  assemblies  without  rising.  In  large  as- 
semblies, and  especially  where  non-members 
are  scattered  throughout  the  assembly,  mem- 
bers should  rise,  and  without  waiting  for  rec- 
ognition, say,  *'Mr.  Chairman,  I  second  the 
motion." 

Exceptions.  The  following  do  not  require 
a  second:* 

Question  of  Privilege,  to  raise  a 19 

Questions  of  Order 21 

Objection   to    the   Consideration    of   a    Ques- 
tion    23 

Call  for  Orders  of  the  Day 20 

Call  for  Division  of  the  Question  (under  cer- 
tain   circumstances) 24 

Call  for  Division  of  the  Assembly  (in  voting)  25 

Call  up  Motion  to  Reconsider 35 

Filling  Blanks 33 

Nominations    33 

Leave  to  Withdraw  a  Motion 27 

Inquiries  of  any  kind 27 

•  In  Congress  motions  are  not  required  to  be  seconded. 


38  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  6 

6.  Stating  the  Question.  When  a  motion 
has  been  made  and  seconded,  it  is  the  duty 
of  the  chair,  unless  he  rules  it  out  of  order, 
immediately  to  state  the  question — that  is,  state 
the  exact  question  that  is  before  the  assembly 
for  its  consideration  and  action.  This  he  may 
do  in  various  ways,  depending  somewhat  on 
the  nature  of  the  question,  as  illustrated  by 
the  following  examples :  ''It  is  moved  and  sec- 
onded that  the  following  resolution  be  adopted 
[reading  the  resolution]  ;"  or  'Tt  is  moved  and 
seconded  to  adopt  the  following  resolution ;" 
"Mr.  A  offers  the  following  resolution  [read]  : 
the  question  is  on  its  adoption ;"  "It  is  moved 
and  seconded  to  amend  the  resolution  by  strik- 
ing out  the  word  'very'  before  the  word 
'good';"  "The  previous  question  has  been  de- 
manded [or,  moved  and  seconded]  on  the 
amendment;"  "It  is  moved  and  seconded  that 
the  question  be  laid  on  the  table ;"  "It  is  moved 
and  seconded  that  we  adjourn."  [Under  each 
motion  is  shown  the  form  of  stating  the  ques- 
tion if  there  is  any  peculiarity  in  the  form.] 
If  the  question  is  debatable  or  amendable,  the 
chair  should  immediately  ask,  "Are  you  ready 
for  the  question?"  If  no  one  then  rises  he 
should  put  the  question  as  described  in  9.  If 
the  question  cannot  be  debated  or  amended, 
he  does  not  ask,  "Are  you  ready  for  the  ques- 
tion?" but  immediately  puts  the  question  after 
stating  it. 

7.  Debate.     After    a    question    has    been 


§  7]  DEBATE  39 

Stated  by  the  chair,  it  is  before  the  assembly 
for  consideration  and  action.  All  resolutions, 
reports  of  committees,  communications  to  the 
assembly,  and  all  amendments  proposed  to 
them,  and  all  other  motions  except  the  Un- 
debatable  Motions  mentioned  in  45,  may  be 
debated  before  final  action  is  taken  on  them, 
unless  by  a  two-thirds  vote  the  assembly  de- 
cides to  dispose  of  them  without  debate.  By 
a  two-thirds  vote  is  meant  tw^o-thirds  of  the 
votes  cast,  a  quorum  being  present.  In  the 
debate  each  member  has  the  right  to  speak 
twice  on  the  same  question  on  the  same  day 
(except  on  an  appeal),  but  cannot  make  a 
second  speech  on  the  same  question  as  long 
as  any  member  who  has  not  spoken  on  that 
question  desires  the  floor.  No  one  can  speak 
longer  than  ten  minutes  at  a  time  without  per- 
mission of  the  assembly. 

Debate  must  be  limited  to  the  merits  of  the 
immediately  pending  question — that  is,  the  last 
question  stated  by  the  chair  that  is  still  pend- 
ing ;  except  that  in  a  few  cases  the  main  ques- 
tion is  also  open  to  debate  [45].  Speakers 
must  address  their  remarks  to  the  presiding 
officer,  be  courteous  in  their  language  and  de- 
portment, and  avoid  all  personalities,  never 
alluding  to  the  officers  or  other  members  by 
name,  where  possible  to  avoid  it,  nor  to  the 
motives  of  members.  [For  further  informa- 
tion on  this  subject  see  Debate,  42,  and  De- 
corum in  Debate,  43.] 


40  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  8 

8.  Secondary  Motions.  To  assist  in  the 
proper  disposal  of  the  question  various  sub- 
sidiary [12]  motions  are  used,  such  as  to 
amend,  to  commit,  etc.,  and  for  the  time  being 
the  subsidiary  motion  replaces  the  resolution, 
or  motion,  and  becomes  the  immediately  pend- 
ing question.  While  these  are  pending,  a 
question  incidental  to  the  business  may  arise, 
as  a  question  of  order,  and  this  incidental  [13] 
question  interrupts  the  business  and,  until  dis- 
posed of,  becomes  the  immediately  pending 
question.  And  all  of  these  may  be  super- 
seded by  certain  motions,  called  privileged  [14] 
motions,  as  to  adjourn,  of  such  supreme  im- 
portance as  to  justify  their  interrupting  all 
other  questions.  All  of  these  motions  that 
may  be  made  while  the  original  motion  is 
pending  are  sometimes  referred  to  as  second- 
ary motions.  The  proper  use  of  many  of 
these  is  shown  in  10. 

9.  Putting  the  Question  and  Announcing 
the  Vote.*  When  the  debate  appears  to 
have  closed,  the  chair  asks  again,  "Are  you 
ready  for  the  question?"     If  no  one  rises  he 

*  H.  R.  Rule  1,  §5,  is  as  follows  :  "5.  He  shall  rise  to 
put  a  question,  but  may  state  it  sitting  ;  and  shall  put 
questions  in  this  form,  to  wit:  'As  many  asarein  favor 
(as  the  question  may  be),  say  Aye;'  and  after  the  affirm- 
ative voice  is  expressed,  'As  many  as  are  opposed,  say 
No;'  if  he  doubts,  or  a  division  is  called  for,  the  House 
shall  divide  ;  those  in  the  affirmative  of  the  question  shall 
first  rise  from  their  seats,  and  then  those  in  the  negative  ; 
if  he  still  doubts,  or  a  count  is  required  by  at  least  one- 
fifth  of  a  quorum,  he  shall  name  one  from  each  side  of 
the  question  to  tell  the  members  in  the  affirmative  and 
negative ;  which  being  reported,  he  shall  rise  and  state 
the  decision." 


§9]  PUTTING  THE  QUESTION  4I 

proceeds  to  put  the  question — that  is,  to  take 
the  vote  on  the  question,  first  calHng  for  the 
affirmative  and  then  for  the  negative  vote. 
In  putting  the  question  the  chair  should  make 
perfectly  clear  what  the  question  is  that  the 
assembly  is  to  decide.  If  the  question  is  on 
the  adoption  of  a  resolution,  unless  it  has  been 
read  very  recently,  it  should  be  read  again, 
the  question  being  put  in  a  way  similar  to 
this :  "The  question  is  on  the  adoption  of  the 
resolution  [which  the  chair  reads]  ;  those  in 
favor  of  the  resolution  say  aye;  those  opposed 
say  no.  The  ayes  have  it,  and  the  resolution 
is  adopted ;"  or,  "The  noes  have  it,  and  the 
resolution  is  lost."  Or,  thus :  "The  question 
is  on  agreeing  to  the  following  resolution,'' 
which  the  chair  reads,  and  then  he  continues, 
"As  many  as  are  in  favor  of  agreeing  to  the 
resolution  say  aye;"  after  the  ayes  have  re- 
sponded he  continues,  "As  many  as  are  op- 
posed say  no.  The  ayes  have  it,"  etc.  Or,  "It 
is  moved  and  seconded  that  an  invitation  be 
extended  to  Mr.  Jones  to  address  our  club 
at  its  next  meeting.  Those  in  favor  of  the 
motion  will  rise ;  be  seated ;  those  opposed  will 
rise.  The  affirmative  has  it  and  the  motion  is 
adopted  [or  carried]."  Or,  if  the  vote  is  by 
"show  of  hands,"  the  question  is  put  and  the 
vote  announced  in  a  form  similar  to  this :  "It 
has  been  moved  and  seconded  to  lay  the  reso- 
lution on  the  table.  Those  in  favor  of  the 
motion  will   raise  the   right  hand ;  those  op- 


42  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  9 

posed  will  signify  [or  manifest]  it  in  the  same 
way  [or  manner].  The  affirmative  has  it  [or, 
The  motion  is  adopted,  or  carried]  and  the 
resolution  is  laid  on  the  table."  The  vote 
should  always  be  announced,  as  it  is  a  neces- 
sary part  of  putting  the  question.  The  as- 
sembly is  assumed  not  to  know  the  result  of 
the  vote  until  announced  by  the  chair,  and 
the  vote  does  not  go  into  effect  until  an- 
nounced. As  soon  as  the  result  of  the  vote 
is  announced  the  chair  should  state  the  next 
business  in  order,  as  in  the  following  example 
of  putting  the  question  on  an  amendment: 
"The  question  is  on  amending  the  resolution 
by  inserting  the  word  'oak'  before  the  word 
'desk.'  Those  in  favor  of  the  amendment  say 
aye;  those  opposed  say  no.  The  ayes  have  it 
and  the  amendment  is  adopted.  The  question 
is  now  [or  recurs]  on  the  resolution  as 
amended,  which  is  as  follows :  [read  the  reso- 
lution as  amended].  Are  you  ready  for  the 
question?"  The  chair  should  never  neglect 
to  state  what  is  the  business  next  in  order 
after  every  vote  is  announced,  nor  to  state 
the  exact  question  before  the  assembly  when- 
ever a  motion  is  made.  Much  confusion  is 
avoided  thereby.  The  vote  should  always  be 
taken  first  by  the  voice  (viva  voce)  or  by  show 
of  hands  (the  latter  method  being  often  used 
in  small  assemblies),  except  in  the  case  of 
motions  requiring  a  two-thirds  vote,  when  a 
rising  vote  should  be  taken  at  first.     When  a 


§  lO]  PROPER    MOTIONS  TO  USE  43 

division  is  demanded  a  rising  vote  is  taken. 
For  further  information  on  voting  see  46. 
Under  each  motion  is  given  the  form  of  put- 
ting the  question  whenever  the  form  is  pe- 
cuHar. 

10.  Proper  Motions  to  Use  to  Accom- 
plish Certain  Objects.  To  enable  any  one 
to  ascertain  what  motion  to  use  in  order  to 
accompHsh  what  is  desired,  the  common  mo- 
tions are  arranged  in  the  table  below  accord- 
ing to  the  objects  to  be  attained  by  their  use. 
Immediately  after  the  table  is  a  brief  state- 
ment of  the  differences  between  the  motions 
placed  under  each  object,  and  of  the  circum- 
stances under  which  each  should  be  used. 
They  include  all  of  the  Subsidiary  Motions 
[12],  which  are  designed  for  properly  dispos- 
ing of  a  question  pending  before  the  assem- 
bly; and  the  three  motions  designed  to  again 
bring  before  the  assembly  a  question  that  has 
been  acted  upon  or  laid  aside  temporarily ; 
and  the  motion  designed  to  bring  before  an- 
other meeting  of  the  assembly  a  main  ques- 
tion which  has  been  voted  on  in  an  unusually 
small  or  unrepresentative  meeting.  Motions, 
as  a  general  rule,  require  for  their  adoption 
only  a  majority  vote — that  is,  a  majority  of 
the  votes  cast,  a  quorum  being  present ;  but 
motions  to  suppress  or  limit  debate,  or  to  pre- 
vent the  consideration  of  a  question,  or,  with- 
out notice  to  rescind  action  previously  taken, 
require  a  two-thirds  vote  [48].     The  figures 


44  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  10 

and  letters  on  the  left  in  the  list  below  corre- 
spond to  similar  figures  and  letters  in  the 
statement  of  differences  further  on.  The  fig- 
ures to  the  right  in  the  list  refer  to  the  sec- 
tions where  the  motions  are  fully  treated. 


The   Common   Motions   Classified   According   to 
Their  Objects. 

(1)  To  Modify  or  Amend. 

(a)  Amend    33 

(b)  Commit  or  Refer 32 

(2)  To  Defer  Action. 

(a)  Postpone  to  a  Certain  Time 31 

(b)  Make  a  Special  Order  (2/3  Vote)  20 

(c)  Lay  on  the  Table 28 

(3)  To  Suppress  or  Limit  Debate  (2/3  Vote). 

(a)  Previous  Question  (to  close  debate 

now)    (2/3    Vote) 29 

(b)  Limit  Debate  (2/3  Vote) 30 

(4)  To  Suppress  the  Question. 

(a)  Objection     to     Its     Consideration 

(2/3   Vote) 23 

(b)  Previous     Question     and     Reject 

Question    29 

(c)  Postpone  Indefinitely 34 

id)  Lay  on  the  Table 28 

(5)  To  Consider  a  Question  a  Second  Time. 

(a)  Take  from  the  Table 35 

(b)  Reconsider    36 

(c)  Rescind 37 

(6)  To  Prevent  Final  Action  on  a  Question 

in  an  Unusually  Small  or  Unrep- 
resentative   Meeting. 
(a)  Reconsider  and   have   Entered   on 

the  Minutes   36 

(1)  To  Modify  or  Amend,  (a)  When  a 
resolution  or  motion  is  not  worded  properly, 
or  requires  any  modification  to  meet  the  ap- 


§  lO]  PROPER   MOTIONS   TO   USE  45 

proval  of  the  assembly,  if  the  changes  re- 
quired can  be  made  in  the  assembly,  the  proper 
motion  to  make  is  to  amend  by  "inserting," 
or  "adding,"  or  by  "striking  out,"  or  by  "strik- 
ing out  and  inserting,"  or  by  "substituting"  one 
or  more  paragraphs  for  those  in  the  resolution. 
(b)  But  if  much  time  will  be  required,  or  if 
the  changes  required  are  numerous,  or  if  addi- 
tional information  is  required  to  enable  the 
assembly  to  act  intelligently,  then  it  is  usually 
better  to  refer  the  question  to  a  committee. 

(2)  To  Defer  Action,  (a)  If  it  is  desired 
to  put  off  the  further  consideration  of  a  ques- 
tion to  a  certain  hour,  so  that  when  that  time 
arrives,  as  soon  as  the  pending  business  is 
disposed  of,  it  shall  have  the  right  of  consid- 
eration over  all  questions  except  special  or- 
ders and  a  reconsideration,  then  the  proper 
motion  to  make  is,  to  postpone  to  that  certain 
time.  This  is  also  the  proper  motion  to  make 
if  it  is  desired  to  defer  action  simply  to  an- 
other day.  As  the  motion  if  adopted  cannot 
interrupt  the  pending  question  when  the  ap- 
pointed time  arrives,  nor  can  it  suspend  any 
rule,  it  requires  only  a  majority  vote  for  its 
adoption.  A  question  postponed  to  a  certain 
time  cannot  be  taken  up  before  the  appointed 
time  except  by  suspending  the  rules,  which 
requires  a  two-thirds  vote,  {h)  If  it  is  de- 
sired to  appoint  for  the  consideration  of  a 
question  a  certain  time  when  it  may  interrupt 
any  pending  question   except  one  relating  to 


46  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  10 

adjournment  or  recess,  or  a  question  of  privi- 
lege or  a  specified  order  that  was  made  before 
it  was,  then  the  proper  course  is  to  move  "that 
the  question  be  made  a  special  order  for,"  etc., 
specifying  the  day  or  hour.  As  this  motion, 
if  adopted,  suspends  all  rules  that  interfere 
with  the  consideration  of  the  question  at  the 
appointed  time,  it  requires  a  two-thirds  vote 
for  its  adoption.  A  special  order  cannot  be 
considered  before  the  appointed  time  except 
by  suspending  the  rules,  which  requires  a  two- 
thirds  vote,  (c)  If,  however,  it  is  desired  to 
lay  the  question  aside  temporarily  with  the 
right  to  take  it  up  at  any  moment  when  busi- 
ness of  this  class,  or  unfinished  or  new  busi- 
ness, is  in  order  and  no  other  question  is  be- 
fore the  assembly,  the  proper  motion  to  use  is 
to  lay  the  question  on  the  table.  When  laid 
upon  the  table  a  majority  vote  may  take  it  up 
at  the  same  or  the  next  session,  as  described 
in  35. 

(3)  To  Suppress  Debate,  (a)  If  it  is  de- 
sired to  close  debate  now  and  bring  the  as- 
sembly at  once  to  a  vote  on  the  pending 
question,  or  questions,  the  proper  course  is  to 
move,  or  demand,  or  call  for,  the  previous 
question  on  the  motions  upon  which  it  is  de- 
sired to  close  debate.  The  motion,  or  demand, 
for  the  previous  question  should  always  spec- 
ify the  motions  upon  which  it  is  desired  to 
order  the  previous  question.  If  no  motions 
are  specified,  the  previous  question  applies  only 


§  lOl       PROPER  MOTIONS  TO  USE         47 

to  the  immediately  pending  question.  It  re- 
quires a  two-thirds  vote  for  its  adoption. 
After  it  has  been  adopted,  privileged  and  inci- 
dental motions  may  be  made,  or  the  pending 
questions  may  be  laid  on  the  table,  but  no 
other  subsidiary  motion  can  be  made  nor  is 
any  debate  allowed.  If  it  is  lost  the  debate  is 
resumed,  (b)  If  it  is  desired  to  limit  the 
number  or  length  of  speeches,  or  the  time 
allowed  for  debate,  the  proper  course  is  to 
move  that  the  speeches  or  debate  be  limited 
as  desired,  or  that  the  debate  be  closed  and 
the  vote  be  taken  at  a  specified  time.  These 
motions  to  limit  or  close  debate  require  a  two- 
thirds  vote  for  their  adoption,  and  are  in  order, 
like  the  previous  question,  w^hen  any  debatable 
question  is  immediately  pending. 

(4)  To  Suppress  the  Question.  A  legiti- 
mate question  cannot  be  suppressed  in  a  de- 
liberative assembly  without  free  debate,  except 
by  a  two-thirds  vote.  If  two-thirds  of  the 
assembly  are  opposed  to  the  consideration  of 
the  question  then  it  can  be  suppressed  by  the 
following  methods:  (a)  If  it  is  desired  to 
prevent  any  consideration  of  the  question,  the 
proper  course  to  pursue  is  to  object  to  its 
consideration  before  it  has  been  discussed  or 
any  other  motion  stated,  and,  therefore,  it 
may  interrupt  a  member  who  has  the  floor 
before  the  debate  has  begun.  It  requires  no 
second.  On  the  question  of  consideration 
there  must  be  a  two-thirds  negative  vote  to 


48  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  10 

prevent  the  consideration.  (b)  After  the 
question  has  been  considered  the  proper  way 
to  immediately  suppress  it  is  to  close  debate 
by  ordering  the  previous  question,  which  re- 
quires a  two-thirds  vote,  and  then  to  vote 
down  the  question,  (c)  Another  method  of 
suppressing  a  question  is  to  postpone  it  indefi- 
nitely (equivalent  to  rejecting  it),  which,  how- 
ever, being  debatable  and  opening  the  main 
question  to  debate,  is  only  of  service  in  giving 
another  opportunity  to  defeat  the  resolution 
should  this  one  fail.  For,  if  the  motion  to 
postpone  indefinitely  is  adopted,  the  main  ques- 
tion is  dead  for  that  session,  and  if  it  is  lost, 
the  main  question  is  still  pending  and  its  ene- 
mies have  another  opportunity  to  kill  it.  When 
the  motion  to  postpone  indefinitely  is  pending 
and  immediate  action  is  desired,  it  is  necessary 
to  move  the  previous  question  as  in  case  {h) 
above,  {d)  A  fourth  method  frequently  used 
for  suppressing  a  question  is  to  lay  it  on  the 
table,  though  this  is  an  unfair  use  of  the  mo- 
tion, except  in  bodies  like  Congress  where  the 
majority  must  have  the  power  to  suppress 
any  motion  immediately,  as  otherwise  they 
could  not  transact  business.  But  in  ordinary 
societies,  where  the  pressure  of  business  is  not 
so  great,  it  is  better  policy  for  the  majority  to 
be  fair  and  courteous  to  the  minority  and  use 
the  proper  motions  for  suppressing  a  ques- 
tion without  allowing  full  debate,  all  of  which 
require  a  two-thirds  vote.    Unless  the  enemies 


§  lO]  PROPER   MOTIONS   TO   USE  49 

of  a  motion  have  a  large  majority,  laying  it  on 
the  table  is  not  a  safe  way  of  suppressing  it, 
because  its  friends,  by  watching  their  oppor- 
tunity, may  find  themselves  in  a  majority  and 
take  it  from  the  table  and  adopt  it,  as  shown 
in  the  next  paragraph. 

(5)  To  Consider  a  Question  a  Second  Time, 
(a)  When  a  question  has  not  been  voted  on, 
but  has  been  laid  on  the  table,  a  majority  may 
take  it  from  the  table  and  consider  it  at  any 
time  when  no  other  question  is  before  the 
assembly  and  when  business  of  that  class,  or 
unfinished  or  new  business,  is  in  order  during 
the  same  session ;  or  at  the  next  session  in 
ordinary  societies  having  regular  meetings  as 
often  as  quarterly,  (b)  If  a  motion  has  been 
adopted,  or  rejected,  or  postponed  indefinitely, 
and  afterwards  one  or  more  members  have 
changed  their  views  from  the  prevailing  to 
the  losing  side,  and  it  is  thought  that  by  fur- 
ther discussion  the  assembly  may  modify  or 
reverse  its  action,  the  proper  course  is  for  one 
who  voted  with  the  prevailing  side  to  move 
to  reconsider  the  vote  on  the  question.  This 
can  be  done  on  the  day  the  vote  to  be  recon- 
sidered is  taken,  or  on  the  next  succeeding 
day  of  the  same  session,  {c)  If  a  main  mo- 
tion, including  questions  of  privilege  and 
orders  of  the  day,  has  been  adopted  or  re- 
jected or  postponed  indefinitely,  and  no  one 
is  both  able  and  willing  to  move  to  reconsider 
the  vote,  the  question  can  be  brought  up  again 


50  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  10 

during  the  same  session  only  by  moving  to 
rescind  the  motion.  To  rescind  may  be 
moved  by  any  member,  but,  if  notice  of  it 
was  not  given  at  a  previous  meeting,  it  re- 
quires a  two-thirds  vote  or  a  vote  of  a  major- 
ity of  the  enrolled  membership.  At  any  future 
session,  the  resolution,  or  other  main  motion, 
may  be  rescinded  in  the  same  way  if  it  had 
been  adopted;  or  it  may  be  introduced  anew 
if  it  had  been  rejected  or  postponed  indefi- 
nitely; provided  the  question  cannot  be 
reached  by  calling  up  the  motion  to  recon- 
sider which  had  been  made  at  the  previous 
session.  A  by-law,  or  anything  else  that  re- 
quires a  definite  notice  and  vote  for  its  amend- 
ment, requires  the  same  notice  and  vote  to 
rescind  it. 

(6)  To  Prevent  Final  Action  on  a  Ques- 
tion in  an  Unusually  Small  or  Unrepresenta- 
tive Meeting.  If  an  important  miain  motion 
should  be  adopted,  lost,  or  postponed  indefi- 
nitely, at  a  small  or  unrepresentative  meeting 
of  the  society  when  it  was  apparent  that  the 
action  is  in  opposition  to  the  views  of  the 
majority  of  the  members,  the  proper  course  to 
pursue  is  for  a  member  to  vote  with  the  pre- 
vailing side  and  then  move  to  reconsider  the 
vote  and  have  it  entered  on  the  minutes.  The 
motion  to  reconsider,  in  this  form,  can  be 
made  only  on  the  day  the  vote  was  taken 
which  it  is  proposed  to  reconsider,  and  the 
reconsideration  cannot  be   called  up  on  that 


§Il]  MAIN  OR  PRINCIPAL  MOTIONS  5I 

day ;  thus  an  opportunity  is  given  to  notify 
absent  members.  The  motion  to  reconsider  is 
fully  explained  in  36. 


Art.  II.      General  Classification  of 
Motions. 

For  convenience  motions  may  be  classified  as 
follows: 

Main  or  Principal  Motions 11 

Subsidiary  Motions 12 

Incidental    Motions 13 

Privileged  Motions 14 

11.  A  Main  or  Principal  Motion  is  a  mo- 
tion made  to  bring  before  the  assembly,  for 
its  consideration,  any  particular  subject.  It 
takes  precedence  of  nothing — that  is,  it  can- 
not be  made  when  any  other  question  is  before 
the  assembly ;  and  it  yields  to  all  Privileged, 
Incidental,  and  Subsidiary  Motions — that  is, 
any  of  these  motions  can  be  made  while  a  main 
motion  is  pending.  Main  motions  are  de- 
batable, and  subject  to  amendment,  and  can 
have  any  subsidiary  [12]  motions  applied  to 
them.  When  a  main  motion  is  laid  on  the 
table,  or  postponed  to  a  certain  time,  it  carries 
with  it  all  pending  subsidiary  motions.  If  a 
main  motion  is  referred  to  a  committee  it  car- 
ries with  it  only  the  pending  amendments.  As 
a  general  rule,  they  require  for  their  adoption 
only  a  majority  vote — that  is,  a  majority  of 


52  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  II 

the  votes  cast;  but  amendments  to  constitu- 
tions, by-laws,  and  rules  of  order  already 
adopted,  all  of  which  are  main  motions,  re- 
quire a  two-thirds  vote  for  their  adoption, 
unless  the  by-laws,  etc.,  specify  a  different 
vote  for  their  amendment ;  and  the  motion  to 
rescind  action  previously  taken  requires  a  two- 
thirds  vote,  or  a  vote  of  a  majority  of  the 
entire  membership,  unless  previous  notice  of 
the  motion  has  been  given. 

Main  motions  may  be  subdivided  into  Orig- 
inal Main  Motions  and  Incidental  Main  Mo- 
tions. Original  Main  Motions  are  those  which 
bring  before  the  assembly  some  new  subject, 
generally  in  the  form  of  a  resolution,  upon 
which  action  by  the  assembly  is  desired.  Inci- 
dental Main  Motions  are  those  main  motions 
that  are  incidental  to,  or  relate  to,  the  business 
of  the  assembly,  or  its  past  or  future  action, 
as,  a  committee's  report  on  a  resolution  re- 
ferred to  it.  A  motion  to  accept  or  adopt  the 
report  of  a  standing  committee  upon  a  sub- 
ject not  referred  to  it  is  an  original  main 
motion,  but  a  motion  to  adopt  a  report  on  a 
subject  referred  to  a  committee  is  an  inci- 
dental main  motion.  The  introduction  of  an 
original  main  motion  can  be  prevented  by  sus- 
taining by  a  two-thirds  vote  an  objection  to 
its  consideration  [23],  made  just  after  the 
main  motion  is  stated  and  before  it  is  dis- 
cussed. An  objection  to  its  consideration  can- 
not be  applied  to  an  incidental  main  motion. 


§Il]  MAIN    OR    PRINCIPAL    MOTIONS  53 

but  a  two-thirds  vote  can  immediately  sup- 
press it  by  ordering  the  previous  question  [29]. 
This  is  the  only  difference  between  the  two 
classes  of  main  motions.  The  following  list 
contains  some  of  the  most  common 

Incidental  Main  Motions. 

Accept  or  Adopt  a  Report  upon  a  subject  re- 
ferred to  a  committee 54 

Adjourn  at,  or  to,  a  future  time 17 

Adjourn,  if  qualified  in  any  way,  or  to  ad- 
journ when  the  effect  is  to  dissolve  the 
assembly  with  no  provision  for  its  recon- 
vening      17 

Appoint  the  Time  and  Place  for  the  next 
meeting,  if  introduced  when  no  business  is 
pending    16 

Amend  the  Constitution,  By-laws,  Standing 
Rules,  or  Resolutions,  etc.,  already  adopted  68 

Ratify  or  Confirm  action  taken 39 

Rescind  or  Repeal  action  taken 37 

All  of  these  motions  are  essentially  main 
motions,  and  are  treated  as  such,  though  they 
may  appear  otherwise. 

Though  a  question  of  privilege  is  of  high 
rank  so  far  as  interrupting  a  pending  ques- 
tion is  concerned,  yet  when  the  question  has 
interrupted  business  and  is  pending,  it  is 
treated  as  a  main  motion  so  far  as  having  in- 
cidental and  subsidiary  motions  applied  to  it. 
So  an  order  of  the  day,  even  though  a  special 
order,  after  it  has  been  taken  up  is  treated  in 
the  same  way,  as  is  also  a  question  that  has 
been  reconsidered. 


54  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  12 

No  motion  is  in  order  that  conflicts  with 
the  constitution,  by-laws,  or  standing  rules  or 
resolutions  of  the  assembly,  and  if  such  a  mo- 
tion is  adopted  it  is  null  and  void.  Before 
introducing  such  a  motion  it  is  necessary  to 
amend  the  constitution  or  by-laws,  or  amend 
or  rescind  the  conflicting  standing  rule  or  reso- 
lution. So,  too,  a  motion  is  not  in  order  that 
conflicts  with  a  resolution  previously  adopted 
by  the  assembly  at  the  same  session,  or  that 
has  been  introduced  and  has  not  been  finally 
disposed  of.  If  it  is  not  too  late  the  proper 
course  is  to  reconsider  [36]  the  vote  on  the 
motion  previously  adopted,  and  then  amend  it 
so  as  to  express  the  desired  idea.  If  it  can- 
not be  reconsidered,  then  by  a  two-thirds  vote 
the  old  resolution  may  be  rescinded  when  the 
new  one  can  be  introduced,  or  by  giving  notice 
it  may  be  rescinded  by  a  majority  vote  at  the 
next  meeting.  In  ordinary  societies,  where 
the  quorum  is  a  small  percentage  of  the  mem- 
bership, and  the  meetings  are  as  frequent  as 
quarterly,  no  resolution  that  conflicts  with  one 
adopted  at  a  previous  session  should  be  en- 
tertained until  the  old  one  has  been  rescinded, 
which  requires  a  two-thirds  vote  unless  proper 
notice  has  been  given.     [See  37.] 

12.  Subsidiary  Motions  are  such  as  are 
applied  to  other  motions  for  the  purpose  of 
most  appropriately  disposing  of  them.  By 
means  of  them  the  original  motion  may  be 
modified,  or  action  postponed,  or  it  may  be 


§  12]  SUBSIDIARY    MOTIONS  55 

referred  to  a  committee  to  investigate  and 
report,  etc.  They  may  be  applied  to  any  main 
motion,  and  when  made  they  supersede  the 
main  motion  and  must  be  decided  before  the 
main  motion  can  be  acted  upon.  None  of 
them,  except  the  motion  to  amend  and  those 
that  close  or  limit  or  extend  the  limits  of  de- 
bate, can  be  applied  to  a  subsidiary,  incidental 
(except  an  appeal  in  certain  cases),  or  privi- 
leged motion.  Subsidiary  motions,  except  to 
lay  on  the  table,  the  previous  question,  and 
postpone  indefinitely,  may  be  amended.  The 
motions  affecting  the  limits  of  debate  may  be 
applied  to  any  debatable  question  regardless  of 
its  privilege,  and  require  a  two-thirds  vote 
for  their  adoption.  All  those  of  lower  rank 
than  those  affecting  the  limits  of  debate  are 
debatable,  the  rest  are  not.  The  motion  to 
amend  anything  that  has  already  been  adopted, 
as  by-laws  or  minutes,  is  not  a  subsidiary  mo- 
tion but  is  a  main  motion  and  can  be  laid 
on  the  table  or  have  applied  to  it  any  other 
subsidiary  motion  without  affecting  the  by- 
laws or  minutes,  because  the  latter  are  not 
pending. 

In  the  following  list  the  subsidiary  motions 
are  arranged  in  the  order  of  their  precedence, 
the  first  one  having  the  highest  rank.  When 
one  of  them  is  the  immediately  pending  ques- 
tion every  motion  above  it  is  in  order,  and 
every  one  below  it  is  out  of  order.  They  are 
as  follows: 


56  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§13 


Subsidiary  Motions. 

Lay  on  the  Table 28 

The  Previous  Question 29 

Limit  or  Extend  Limits  of  Debate 30 

Postpone  Definitely,  or  to  a  Certain  Time 31 

Commit  or  Refer,  or  Recommit 32 

Amend  33 

Postpone  Indefinitely 34 


13.  Incidental  Motions  are  such  as  arise  out 
of  another  question  which  is  pending,  and 
therefore  take  precedence  of  and  must  be  de- 
cided before  the  question  out  of  which  they 
rise;  or,  they  are  incidental  to  a  question  that 
has  just  been  pending  and  should  be  decided 
before  any  other  business  is  taken  up.  They 
yield  to  privileged  motions,  and  generally  to 
the  motion  to  lay  on  the  table.  They  are 
undebatable,  except  an  appeal  under  certain 
circumstances  as  shown  in  21.  They  cannot 
be  amended  except  where  they  relate  to  the 
division  of  a  question,  or  to  the  method  of 
considering  a  question,  or  to  methods  of 
v^oting,  or  to  the  time  when  nominations  or 
the  polls  shall  be  closed.  No  subsidiary  mo- 
tion, except  to  amend,  can  be  applied  to  any 
of  them  except  a  debatable  appeal.  When- 
ever it  is  stated  that  all  incidental  motions 
take  precedence  of  a  certain  motion,  the  in- 
cidental motions  referred  to  are  only  those 
that  are  legitimately  incidental  at  t"he  time  they 
are  made.    Thus,  incidental  motions  take  pre- 


! 


§  14]  PRIVILEGED    MOTIONS  57 

cedence  of  subsidiary  motions,  but  the  inci- 
dental motion  to  object  to  the  consideration 
of  a  question  cannot  be  made  while  a  sub- 
sidiary motion  is  pending,  as  the  objection  is 
only  legitimate  against  an  original  main  mo- 
tion just  after  it  is  stated,  before  it  has  been 
debated  or  there  has  been  any  subsidiary  mo- 
tion stated.  The  following  list  comprises  most 
of  those  that  may  arise: 

Incidental  Motions. 

Questions  of  Order  and  Appeal 21 

Suspension  of  the  Rules 22 

Objection  to  the  Consideration  of  a  Question.  23 
Division  of  a  Question,  and  Consideration  by 

Paragraph  or  Seriatim 24 

Division  of  the  Assembly,  and  Motions  relat- 
ing to  Methods  of  Voting,  or  to  Closing  or 

to  Reopening  the  Polls 25 

Motions  relating  to  Methods  of  Making,  or  to 

Closing  or  to  Reopening  Nominations 26 

Requests  growing  out  of  Business  Pending  or 
that  has  just  been  pending;  as,  a  Parlia- 
mentary Inquiry,  a  Request  for  Informa- 
tion, for  Leave  to  Withdraw  a  Motion,  to 
Read  Papers,  to  be  Excused  from  a  Duty, 
or  for  any  other  Privilege 27 

14.  Privileged  Motions  are  such  as,  while 
not  relating  to  the  pending  question,  are  of  so 
great  importance  as  to  require  them  to  take 
precedence  of  all  other  questions,  and,  on  ac- 
count of  this  high  privilege,  they  are  unde- 
batable.      They   cannot   have   any   subsidiary 


58  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  I5 

motion  applied  to  them,  except  the  motions 
to  fix  the  time  to  which  to  adjourn,  and  to 
take  a  recess,  which  may  be  amended.  But 
after  the  assembly  has  actually  taken  up  the 
orders  of  the  day  or  a  question  of  privilege, 
debate  and  amendment  are  permitted  and  the 
subsidiary  motions  may  be  applied  the  same 
as  on  any  main  motion.  These  motions  are 
as  follows,  being  arranged  in  order  of  pre- 
cedence : 

Privileged    Motions. 

Fix  the  Time  to  which  to  Adjourn  (if  made 
while  another  question  is  pending) 16 

Adjourn  (if  unqualified  and  if  it  has  not  the 
effect  to  dissolve  the  assembly) 17 

Take  a  Recess  (if  made  when  another  ques- 
tion  is   pending) , 18 

Raise  a  Question  of  Privilege 19 

Call  for  Orders  of  the  Day 20 

15.  Some  Main  and  Unclassified  Motions. 
Two  main  motions  (to  rescind  and  to  ratify) 
and  several  motions  which  cannot  conveniently 
be  classified  as  either  Main,  Subsidiary,  Inci- 
dental, or  Privileged,  and  which  are  in  com- 
mon use,  are  hereafter  explained  and  their 
privileges  and  efifects  given.  They  are  as 
follows : 

Take  from  the  Table 35 

Reconsider   36 

Rescind   37 

Renewal  of  a  Motion 38 

Ratify    39 

Dilatory,  Absurd,  or  Frivolous  Motions 40 

Call  of  the  House 41 


§  l6]      FIX  TIME  TO  WHICH  TO  ADJOURN  59 


Art.  III.     Privileged  Motions. 

See  14  for  a  list  and  the  general  characteristics  of 
these  motions, 

16.  To  Fix  the  Time  to  which  the  Assem- 
bly shall  Adjourn.*  This  motion  is  privi- 
leged only  when  made  while  another  question 
is  pending  and  in  an  assembly  that  has  made 
no  provision  for  another  meeting  on  the  same 
or  the  next  day.  The  time  fixed  cannot  be 
beyond  the  time  of  the  next  meeting.  If  made 
in  an  assembly  that  already  has  provided  for 
another  meeting  on  the  same  or  the  next  day, 
or  if  made  in  an  assembly  when  no  question 
is  pending,  this  is  a  main  motion  and  may  be 
debated  and  amended  and  have  applied  to  it 
the  other  subsidiary  motions,  like  other  main 
motions.  Whenever  the  motion  is  referred  to 
in  these  rules  the  privileged  motion  is  meant, 
unless  specified  to  the  contrary. 

This  motion  when  privileged  takes  prece- 
dence of  all  others,  and  is  in  order  even  after 
it  has  been  voted  to  adjourn,  provided  the 
chairman  has  not  declared  the  assembly  ad- 
journed. It  can  be  amended,  and  a  vote  on 
it  can  be  reconsidered.     When  the  assembly 

*  In  Congress  this  motion  was  given  the  highest  rank 
of  all  motions,  but  it  was  so  utilized  for  filibustering  pur- 
poses and  there  was  so  little  need  of  such  a  motion  in  an 
assembly  meeting  daily  for  months,  that  in  the  last  revi- 
sion of  the  rules  it  was  omitted  from,  the  list  of  privi- 
leged motions.  In  ordinary  assemblies  having  short  or 
infrequent  sessions  its  usefulness  outweighs  the  harm 
that  may  be  done  by  its  improper  use. 


60  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  I? 

has  no  fixed  place  for  its  meetings,  this  mo- 
tion should  include  the  place  as  well  as  the 
time  for  the  next  meeting,  and  in  this  case 
the  place  is  subject  to  amendment  as  well  as 
the  time.  When  the  assembly  meets  at  the 
time  to  which  it  adjourned,  the  meeting  is  a 
continuation  of  the  previous  session.  Thus, 
if  the  Annual  Meeting  is  adjourned  to  meet 
on  another  day,  the  adjourned  meeting  is  a 
legal  continuation  of  the  Annual  Meeting. 
[See  63.]  The  form  of  this  motion  is,  "I 
move  that  when  we  adjourn,  we  adjourn  (or 
stand  adjourned)  to  2  p.  m.  tomorrow." 

17.  To  Adjourn.  The  motion  to  adjourn 
(when  unqualified)  is  always  a  privileged  mo- 
tion except  when,  for  lack  of  provision  for  a 
future  meeting,  as  in  a  mass  meeting,  or  at 
the  last  meeting  of  a  convention,  its  effect,  if 
adopted,  would  be  to  dissolve  the  assembly 
permanently.  In  any  organized  society  hold- 
ing several  regular  meetings  during  the  year, 
it  is,  when  unqualified,  always  a  privileged 
motion.  When  not  privileged  it  is  treated  as 
any  other  main  motion,  being  debatable  and 
amendable,  etc. 

The  privileged  motion  to  adjourn  takes  pre- 
cedence of  all  others,  except  the  privileged 
motion  "to  fix  the  time  to  which  to  adjourn," 
to  which  it  yields.  It  is  not  debatable,  nor 
can  it  be  amended  or  have  any  other  subsid- 
iary [12]  motion  applied  to  it;  nor  can  a  vote 
on  it  be  reconsidered.     It  may  be  withdrawn. 


§  17]  TO  ADJOtTRN  6l 

The  motion  to  adjourn  can  be  repeated  if 
there  has  been  any  intervening  business, 
though  it  is  simply  progress  in  debate.  The 
assembly  may  decline  to  adjourn  in  order  to 
hear  one  speech  or  to  take  one  vote,  and  there- 
fore it  must  have  the  privilege  of  renewing 
the  motion  to  adjourn  when  there  has  been 
any  progress  in  business  or  debate.  But  this 
high  privilege  is  liable  to  abuse  to  the  annoy- 
ance of  the  assembly,  if  the  chair  does  not 
prevent  it  by  refusing  to  entertain  the  motion 
when  evidently  made  for  obstructive  purposes, 
as  when  the  assembly  has  just  voted  it  down, 
and  nothing  has  occurred  since  to  show  the 
possibility  of  the  assembly's  wishing  to  ad- 
journ.    [See  Dilatory  Motions,  40.] 

The  motion  to  adjourn,  like  every  other 
motion,  cannot  be  made  except  by  a  member 
who  has  the  floor.  When  made  by  one  who 
has  not  risen  and  addressed  the  chair  and  been 
recognized,  it  can  be  entertained  only  by  gen- 
eral consent.  It  cannot  be  made  when  the 
assembly  is  engaged  in  voting,  or  verifying 
the  vote,  but  is  in  order  after  the  vote  has 
been  taken  by  ballot  before  it  has  been  an- 
nounced. In  such  case  the  ballot  vote  should 
be  announced  as  soon  as  business  is  resumed. 
Wliere  much  time  will  be  consumed  in  count- 
ing ballots  the  assembly  may  adjourn,  having 
previously  appointed  a  time  for  the  next  meet- 
ing, or,  still  better,  may  take  a  recess  as  ex- 
plained in  the  next  section.     No  appeal,  or 


62  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  I? 

question  of  order,  or  inquiry,  should  be  en- 
tertained after  the  motion  to  adjourn  has  been 
made,  unless  it  is  of  such  a  nature  that  its 
decision  is  necessary  before  an  adjournment, 
or  unless  the  assembly  refuses  to  adjourn, 
when  it  would  be  in  order. 

Before  putting  the  motion  to  adjourn,  the 
chair,  in  most  organizations,  should  be  sure 
that  no  important  matters  have  been  over- 
looked. If  there  are  announcements  to  be  made 
they  should  be  attended  to  before  taking  the 
vote,  or  at  least,  before  announcing  it.  If 
there  is  something  requiring  action  before  ad- 
journment, the  fact  should  be  stated  and  the 
mover  requested  to  withdraw  his  motion  to 
adjourn.  The  fact  that  the  motion  to  adjourn 
is  undebatable  does  not  prevent  the  assembly's 
being  informed  of  business  requiring  atten- 
tion before  adjournment.  Members  should 
not  leave  their  seats  until  the  chair  has  de- 
clared the  assembly  adjourned. 

An  adjournment  sine  die — that  is,  without 
day — closes  the  session  and  if  there  is  no  pro- 
vision for  convening  the  assembly  again,  of 
course  the  adjournment  dissolves  the  assem- 
bly. But,  if  any  provision  has  been  made 
whereby  another  meeting  may  be  held,  its  ef- 
fect is  simply  to  close  the  session.  In  an 
assembly,  as  a  convention,  which  meets  regu- 
larly only  once  during  its  life,  but  whose  by- 
laws provide  for  calling  special  meetings,  an 
adjournment  sine  die  means  only  the  ending 


§  17]  TO  ADJOURN  63 

of  the  regular  session  of  the  convention, 
which,  however,  may  be  reconvened  as  pro- 
vided in  the  by-laws.  If  called  to  meet  again 
the  assembly  meets  as  a  body  already  organ- 
ized. 

When  the  motion  to  adjourn  is  qualified  in 
any  way,  or  when  its  effect  is  to  dissolve  the 
assembly  without  any  provision  being  made 
for  holding  another  meeting  of  the  assembly, 
it  loses  its  privilege  and  is  a  main  motion,  de- 
batable and  amendable  and  subject  to  having 
applied  to  it  any  of  the  subsidiary  motions. 

In  committees  where  no  provision  has  been 
made  for  future  meetings,  an  adjournment  is 
always  at  the  call  of  the  chair  unless  other- 
wise specified.  When  a  special  committee,  or 
the  committee  of  the  whole,  has  completed 
the  business  referred  to  it,  instead  of  adjourn- 
ing, it  rises  and  reports,  which  is  equivalent 
to  adjournment  without  day. 

The  Effect  upon  Unfinished  Business  of  an 
adjournment,  unless  the  assembly  has  adopted 
rules  to  the  contrary,  is  as  follows : 

(a)  When  the  adjournment  does  not  close 
the  session  [63],  the  business  interrupted  by 
it  is  the  first  in  order  after  the  reading  of  the 
minutes  at  the  next  meeting,  and  is  treated 
the  same  as  if  there  had  been  no  adjourn- 
ment, an  adjourned  meeting  being  legally  the 
continuation  of  the  meeting  of  which  it  is  an 
adjournment. 

{h)   When  the  adjournment   closes  a   ses- 


64  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  18 

sion*  in  an  assembly  having  regular  sessions 
as  often  as  quarterly,  the  unfinished  business 
should  be  taken  up,  just  where  it  was  inter- 
rupted, at  the  next  succeeding  session  previous 
to  new  business;  provided  that,  in  a  body 
elected,  either  wholly  or  in  part,  for  a  definite 
time  (as  a  board  of  directors  one-third  of 
whom  are  elected  annually),  unfinished  busi- 
ness falls  to  the  ground  with  the  expiration 
of  the  term  for  which  the  board,  or  any  part 
of  it,  was  elected. 

(c)  When  the  adjournment  closes  a  session 
in  an  assembly  which  does  not  meet  as  often 
as  quarterly,  or  when  the  assembly  is  an  elect- 
ive body,  and  this  session  ends  the  term  of  a 
portion  of  the  members,  the  adjournment  puts 
an  end  to  all  business  unfinished  at  the  close 
of  the  session.  The  business  may  be  intro- 
duced at  the  next  session,  the  same  as  if  it 
had  never  been  before  the  assembly. 

18.  Take  a  Recess. t  This  motion  is  prac- 
tically a  combination  of  the  two  preceding,  to 

*  "All  business  before  committees  of  the  House  at  the 
end  of  one  session  shall  be  resumed  at  the  commencement 
of  the  next  session  of  the  same  Congress  in  the  same 
manner  as  if  no  adjournment  had  taken  place."  H.  K. 
Rule  26.  In  practice  this  rule  is  applied  to  business  be- 
fore the  House  as  well  as  to  that  before  committees. 
But  unfinished  business  does  not  go  over  from  one  Con- 
gress to  another  Congress.  When  a  society  meets  only 
once  in  six  mouths  or  a  year,  there  is  liable  to  be  as  great 
a  difference  in  the  personnel  of  the  two  consecutive  meet- 
ings as  of  two  consecutive  Congresses  ;  and  only  trouble 
would  result  from  allowing  unfinished  business  to  hold 
over  to  the  next  yearly  meeting. 

t  Congress  has  omitted  this  motion  from  its  latest  re- 
vision of  the  list  of  privileged  motions,  on  account  of  its 
abuse  for  filibusteiiug  purposes,  and  its  being  so  seldom 
needed. 


§  l8]  TAKE  A    RECESS  65 

which  it  yields,  taking  precedence  of  all  other 
motions.  If  made  when  other  business  is  be- 
fore the  assembly,  it  is  a  privileged  motion 
and  is  undebatable  and  can  have  no  subsidiary 
motion  applied  to  it  except  amend.  It  can  be 
amended  as  to  the  length  of  the  recess.  It 
takes  eftect  immediately.  A  motion  to  take 
a  recess  made  when  no  business  is  before  the 
assembly,  or  a  motion  to  take  a  recess  at  a 
future  time,  has  no  privilege,  and  is  treated 
as  any  other  main  motion.  A  recess  is  an 
intermission  in  the  day's  proceedings,  as  for 
meals  or  for  counting  the  ballots  when  much 
time  is  required ;  or  in  the  case  of  meetings 
like  conventions  lasting  for  several  days  a 
recess  is  sometimes  taken  over  an  entire  day. 
When  a  recess  is  provided  for  in  the  order 
of  exercises,  or  program,  the  chair,  when  the 
time  arrives,  announces  the  fact  and  says  the 
assembly  stands  adjourned,  or  in  recess,  to 
the  specified  hour.  The  assembly  by  a  two- 
thirds  vote  can  postpone  the  time  for  taking 
a  recess,  or  adjournment.  When  the  hour  has 
arrived  to  which  the  recess  was  taken,  the 
chairman  calls  the  assembly  to  order  and  the 
business  proceeds  the  same  as  if  no  recess 
had  been  taken.  If  the  recess  was  taken  after 
a  vote  had  been  taken  and  before  it  was  an- 
nounced, then  the  first  business  is  the  an- 
nouncement of  the  vote.  The  intermissions 
in  the  proceedings  of  a  day  are  termed  re- 
cesses, whether  the  assembly  voted  to  take  a 


66  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  I9 

recess,  or  whether  it  simply  adjourned  having 
previously  adopted  a  program  or  rule  provid- 
ing for  the  hours  of  meeting.  When  an  as- 
sembly has  frequent  short  regular  meetings 
not  lasting  over  a  day,  and  an  adjourned  meet- 
ing is  held  on  another  day,  the  interval  be- 
tween the  meetings  is  not  referred  to  as  a 
recess. 

19.  Questions  of  Privilege.  Questions 
relating  to  the  rights  and  privileges  of  the 
assembly,  or  to  any  of  its  members,  take  pre- 
cedence of  all  other  motions  except  the  three 
preceding  relating  to  adjournment  and  recess, 
to  which  they  yield.  If  the  question  is  one 
requiring  immediate  action  it  may  interrupt 
a  member's  speech ;  as,  for  example,  when, 
from  any  cause,  a  report  that  is  being  read 
cannot  be  heard  in  a  part  of  the  hall.  But  if 
it  is  not  of  such  urgency  it  should  not  inter- 
rupt a  member  after  he  has  commenced  his 
speech.  Before  a  member  has  commenced 
speaking,  even  though  he  has  been  assigned 
the  floor,  it  is  in  order  for  another  member  to 
raise  a  question  of  privilege.  When  a  mem- 
ber rises  for  this  purpose  he  should  not  wait 
to  be  recognized,  but  immediately  on  rising 
should  say,  "Mr.  Chairman, "-^and  when  he 
catches  the  chairman's  eye,  should  add,  "I 
rise  to  a  question  of  privilege  affecting  the 
assembly,"  or  "I  rise  to  a  question  of  per- 
sonal privilege."  The  chair  directs  him  to 
state  his  question,  and  then  decides  whether 


§  19]  QUESTIONS  OF   PRIVILEGE  67 

it  is  one  of  privilege  or  not.  From  this  deci- 
sion any  two  members  may  appeal.  The  chair 
may  decide  it  to  be  a  question  of  privilege,  but 
not  of  sufficient  urgency  to  justify  interrupting 
the  speaker.  In  such  a  case  the  speaker  should 
be  allowed  to  continue,  and,  when  he  has  fin- 
ished, the  chair  should  immediately  assign  the 
floor  to  the  member  who  raised  the  question 
of  privilege  to  make  his  motion  if  one  is  nec- 
essary. Whenever  his  motion  is  made  and 
stated,  it  becomes  the  immediately  pending 
question  and  is  open  to  debate  and  amend- 
ment and  the  application  of  all  the  other  sub- 
sidiary motions  just  as  any  main  motion.  Its 
high  privilege  extends  only  to  giving  it  the 
right  to  consideration  in  preference  to  any 
other  question  except  one  relating  to  adjourn- 
ment or  recess,  and,  in  cases  of  great  urgency, 
the  right  to  interrupt  a  member  while  speak- 
ing. It  cannot  interrupt  voting  or  verifying 
a  vote.  As  soon  as  the  question  of  privilege 
is  disposed  of,  the  business  is  resumed  exactly 
where  it  was  interrupted ;  if  a  member  had 
the  floor  at  the  time  the  question  of  privilege 
was  raised,  the  chair  assigns  him  the  floor 
again. 

Questions  of  privilege  may  relate  to  the 
privileges  of  the  assembly  or  only  of  a  mem- 
ber, the  former  having  the  precedence  if  the 
two  come  into  competition.  Questions  of  per- 
sonal privilege  must  relate  to  one  as  a  member 
of   the   assembly,    or   else    relate   to    charges 


68  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  20 

against  his  character  which,  if  true,  would 
incapacitate  him  for  membership.  Questions 
Hke  the  following  relate  to  the  privileges  of 
the  assembly :  those  relating  to  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  assembly ;  or  to  the  comfort  of  its 
members,  as  the  heating,  lighting,  ventilation, 
etc.,  of  the  hall,  and  freedom  from  noise  and 
other  disturbance ;  or  to  the  conduct  of  its 
officers  or  employees ;  or  to  the  punishing  of 
a  member  for  disorderly  conduct  or  other  of- 
fence;  or  to  the  conduct  of  reporters  for  the 
press,  or  to  the  accuracy  of  published  reports 
of  proceedings. 

Privileged  questions  include,  besides  ques- 
tions of  privilege,  a  call  for  the  orders  of  the 
day  and  the  privileged  motions  relating  to  ad- 
journment and  recess.  This  distinction  be- 
tween privileged  questions  and  questions  of 
privilege  should  be  borne  in  mind. 

20.  Orders  of  the  Day.*  A  Call  for  the 
Orders  of  the  Day  (which,  in  an  ordinary 
assembly,  is  a  demand  that  the  assembly  con- 
form to  its  program  or  order  of  business) 
can  be  made  at  any  time  when  no  other  privi- 
leged [14]  motion  is  pending  and  the  order 
of  business  is  being  varied  from,  and  only 
then.  It  requires  no  second,  and  is  in  order 
when  another  has  the  floor,   even  though  it 


*  While  Congress  retains  the  call  for  the  orders  of  the 
day  in  its  list  of  privileged  motions,  it  has  abandoned 
the  use  of  orders  of  the  day,  having,  instead,  a  detailed 
order  of  business  with  several  calendars.  It  retains  spe- 
cial orders  which  may  be  made  by  a  two-thirds  vote. 


§20]  ORDERS  OF  THE  DAY  69 

interrupts  a  speech,  as  a  single  member  has 
a  right  to  demand  that  the  order  of  business 
be  conformed  to.  It  is  out  of  order  to  call 
for  the  orders  of  the  day  when  there  is  no 
variation  from  the  order  of  business.  Thus, 
the  orders  of  the  day  cannot  be  called  for 
when  another  question  is  pending,  provided 
there  are  no  special  orders  made  for  that  time 
or  an  earlier  time,  as  general  orders  cannot 
interrupt  a  question  actually  under  considera- 
tion. The  call  must  be  simply  for  the  orders 
of  the  day,  and  not  for  a  specified  one,  as  the 
latter  has  no  privilege.  When  the  time  has 
arrived  for  which  a  special  order  has  been 
made,  a  call  for  the  orders  of  the  day  takes 
precedence  of  everything  except  the  other 
privileged  motions,  namely,  those  relating  to 
adjournment  and  recess,  and  questions  of  priv- 
ilege, to  which  it  yields.  If  there  are  no 
special  orders  a  call  for  the  orders  of  the  day 
cannot  interrupt  a  pending  question;  but,  if 
made  when  no  question  is  pending,  it  is  in 
order  even  when  another  has  the  floor  and 
has  made  a  main  motion,  provided  the  chair 
has  not  stated  the  question.  Until  the  time 
of  actually  taking  up  the  general  orders  for 
consideration  this  call  yields  to  a  motion  to 
reconsider,  or  to  a  calling  up  of  a  motion  to 
reconsider,  previously  made.  A  call  for  the 
orders  of  the  day  cannot  be  debated  or 
amended,  or  have  any  other  subsidiary  motion 
applied  to  it. 


70  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  20 

It  is  the  duty  of  the  chair  to  announce  the 
business  to  come  before  the  assembly  in  its 
proper  order,  and  if  he  always  performs  this 
duty  there  will  be  no  occasion  for  calling  for 
the  orders  of  the  day.  But  there  are  occasions 
when  the  chair  fails  to  notice  that  the  time 
assigned  for  a  special  order  has  arrived,  or  he 
thinks  that  the  assembly  is  so  interested  in 
the  pending  question  that  it  does  not  wish  yet 
to  take  up  the  special  order  assigned  for  that 
time,  and  therefore  delays  announcing  it.  In 
such  a  case,  as  already  stated,  any  member  has 
a  right  to  call  for  the  orders  of  the  day,  and 
thus  compel  the  chair  either  to  announce  the 
order  or  else  put  the  question,  "Will  the  as- 
sembly proceed  to  the  orders  of  the  day?"  To 
refuse  to  take  up  the  orders  at  the  appointed 
time  is  an  interference  with  the  order  of  busi- 
ness similar  to  suspending  the  rules  and 
should  require  the  same  vote — namely,  two- 
thirds.  In  other  words,  a  two-thirds  vote  in 
the  negative  is  necessary  to  prevent  proceed- 
ing to  the  orders  of  the  day.  If  the  assembly 
refuses  to  proceed  to  the  orders  of  the  day 
the  orders  cannot  be  called  for  again  until  the 
pending  business  is  disposed  of. 

When  the  orders  of  the  day  are  announced, 
or  when  they  are  called  for,  if  it  is  desired  to 
prolong  the  discussion  of  the  pending  ques- 
tion, some  one  should  move  that  the  time  for 
considering  the  pending  question  be  extended 
a  certain  number  of  minutes.     A  two-thirds 


§  20]  ORDERS  OF  THE  DAY  7I 

vote  is  required  for  the  adoption  of  this  mo- 
tion as  it  changes  the  order  of  business  or 
program.  After  the  order  has  been  announced 
and  the  question  is  actually  pending,  it  is  de- 
batable and  may  be  amended  or  have  any 
other  subsidiary  motion  applied  to  it  the  same 
as  any  other  main  motion.  The  orders  of  the 
day  in  a  mass  cannot  be  laid  on  the  table  or 
postponed,  but  when  an  order  has  been  actu- 
ally taken  up  it  may,  by  a  majority  vote,  be 
laid  on  the  table,  or  postponed,  or  committed, 
so  that,  if  there  is  no  other  order  to  interfere, 
the  consideration  of  the  question  previously 
pending  will  be  resumed.  Whenever  the 
orders  of  the  day  are  disposed  of,  the  consid- 
eration of  the  interrupted  business  is  taken 
up  at  the  point  where  it  was  interrupted  by 
the  call  for  the  orders  of  the  day.  By  sus- 
pending the  rules  by  a  two-thirds  vote  any 
question  may  be  taken  up  out  of  its  proper 
order. 

Orders  of  the  Day.  When  one  or  more 
subjects  have  been  assigned  to  a  particular 
day  or  hour  (by  postponing  them  to,  or  mak- 
ing them  special  orders  for,  that  day  or  hour, 
or  by  adopting  a  program  or  order  of  busi- 
ness), they  become  the  orders  of  the  day  for 
that  day  or  hour,  and  they  cannot  be  consid- 
ered before  that  time,  except  by  a  two-thirds 
vote.  They  are  divided  into  General  Orders 
and  Special  Orders,  the  latter  always  taking 
precedence  of  the  former. 


72  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  20 

A  General  Order  is  usually  made  by  simply 
postponing  a  question  to  a  certain  day  or  hour, 
or  after  a  certain  event.  It  does  not  suspend 
any  rule,  and  therefore  cannot  interrupt  busi- 
ness. But  after  the  appointed  hour  has  ar- 
rived it  has  the  preference,  when  no  question 
is  pending,  over  all  other  questions  except  spe- 
cial orders  and  reconsideration.  It  cannot  be 
considered  before  the  appointed  time  except 
by  a  reconsideration  or  by  a  two-thirds  vote. 
When  the  order  of  business  provides  for 
orders  of  the  day,  questions  simply  postponed 
to  a  meeting,  without  specifying  the  hour, 
come  up  under  that  head.  If  no  provision  is 
made  for  orders  of  the  day,  then  such  post- 
poned questions  come  up  after  the  disposal  of 
the  business  pending  at  the  previous  adjourn- 
ment, and  after  the  questions  on  the  calendar 
that  were  not  disposed  of  at  the  previous 
meeting. 

An  order  of  business  that  specifies  the  order 
in  which,  but  not  the  time  when,  the  business 
shall  be  transacted,  together  with  the  post- 
poned questions  constitutes  the  general  orders. 
This  order  cannot  be  varied  from  except  by 
general  consent  or  by  suspending  the  rules  by 
a  two-thirds  vote.  If  all  of  this  business  is 
not  disposed  of  before  adjournment,  it  be- 
comes "unfinished  business,"  and  is  treated 
as  unfinished  business,  as  explained  in  17 
under  The  Efifect  Upon  Unfinished  Business 
of  an  Adjournment. 


§20]  ORDERS  OF  THE  DAY  73 

As  general  orders  cannot  interrupt  the  con- 
sideration of  a  pending  question,  it  follows 
that  any  general  order  made  for  an  earlier 
hour,  though  made  afterwards,  by  not  being 
disposed  of  in  time  may  interfere  with  the 
general  order  previously  made.  Therefore, 
general  orders  must  take  precedence  among 
themselves  in  the  order  of  the  times  to  which 
they  were  postponed,  regardless  of  when  the 
general  order  was  made.  If  several  are  ap- 
pointed for  the  same  time,  then  they  take  pre- 
cedence in  the  order  in  which  they  were  made. 
If  several  appointed  for  the  same  time  were 
made  at  the  same  time,  then  they  take  pre- 
cedence in  the  order  in  which  they  were 
arranged  in  the  motion  making  the  general 
order. 

To  Make  a  Special  Order  requires  a  two- 
thirds  vote,  because  it  suspends  all  rules  that 
interfere  with  its  consideration  at  the  specified 
time,  except  those  relating  to  motions  for  ad- 
journment or  recess,  or  to  questions  of  privi- 
lege, or  to  special  orders  made  before  it  was 
made.  A  pending  question  is  made  a  special 
order  for  a  future  time  by  "Postponing  it  and 
making  it  a  special  order  for  that  time."  [See 
Postpone  to  a  Certain  Time,  31,  which  should 
be  read  in  connection  with  this  section.]  If 
the  question  is  not  pending,  the  motion  to 
make  it  a  special  order  for  a  certain  time  is  a 
main  motion,  debatable,  amendable,  etc.  The 
member  desirous  of  making  it  a  special  order 


74  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§20 

should  obtain  the  floor  when  nothing  is  pend- 
ing, and  business  of  that  class,  or  new  busi- 
ness, is  in  order,  and  say,  "I  move  that  the 
following  resolution  be  made  the  special  order 
for  [specifying  the  time],"  and  then  reads  the 
resolution  and  hands  it  to  the  chair.  Or  he 
may  adopt  this  form:  "I  offer  the  following 
resolution,  and  move  that  it  be  made  a  special 
order  for  the  next  meeting."  Or,  in  case  a 
committee  has  been  appointed  to  submit  a  re- 
vision of  the  constitution,  the  following  reso- 
lution may  be  adopted :  "Resolved,  That  the 
revision  of  the  constitution  be  made  the 
special  order  for  Thursday  morning  and 
thereafter  until  it  is  disposed  of."  An- 
other way  of  making  special  orders  is  by 
adopting  a  program,  or  order  of  business, 
in  which  is  specified  the  hour  for  taking  up 
each  topic. 

Program.  It  is  customary  to  adopt  a  pro- 
gram, or  order  of  business,  in  conventions  in 
session  for  several  days.  Since  the  delegates 
and  invited  speakers  come  from  a  distance,  it 
is  very  important  that  the  program  be  strictly 
adhered  to.  No  change  can  be  made  in  it 
after  its  adoption  by  the  assembly,  except  by 
a  two-thirds  vote.  When  the  hour  assigned 
to  a  certain  topic  arrives,  the  chair  puts  to 
vote  any  questions  pending  and  announces  the 
topic  for  the  hour.  This  is  done  because, 
under  such  circumstances,  the  form  of  the 
program  implies  that  the  hour,  or  other  time, 


§  20]  ORDERS   OF  THE  DAY  75 

assigned  to  each  topic  is  all  that  can  be  al- 
lowed. But,  if  any  one  moves  to  lay  the  ques- 
tion on  the  table,  or  postpone  it  to  a  certain 
time,  or  refer  it  to  a  •  committee,  the  chair 
should  recognize  the  motion  and  immediately 
put  it  to  vote  without  debate.  Should  any  one 
move  to  extend  the  time  allotted  the  pending 
question,  it  should  be  decided  instantly  with- 
out debate,  a  two-thirds  vote  being  necessary 
for  the  extension.  It  is  seldom  that  an  ex- 
tension is  desirable,  as  it  is  unfair  to  the  next 
topic.  When  an  invited  speaker  exceeds  his 
time  it  is  extremely  discourteous  to  call  for 
the  orders  of  the  day.  The  chair  should  have 
an  understanding  with  invited  speakers  as  to 
how  he  will  indicate  the  expiration  of  their 
time.  This  can  be  done  by  tapping  on  a  book 
or  a  bell.  It  is  usually  better  to  have  it  under- 
stood that  the  signal  will  be  given  one  minute 
before  the  time  expires,  or  longer  if  the 
speaker  wishes  it,  so  that  he  can  properly 
close  his  address.  At  the  expiration  of  the 
time  the  presiding  officer  should  rise  and  at- 
tract the  attention  of  the  speaker  and,  if  he 
still  continues  speaking,  the  chair  should  say 
that  the  time  has  expired,  etc. 

A  series  of  special  orders  made  by  a  single 
vote  is  treated  the  same  as  a  program — that  is, 
at  the  hour  assigned  to  a  particular  subject  it 
interrupts  the  question  assigned  to  the  previ- 
ous hour.  If  it  is  desired  to  continue  the  dis- 
cussion of  the  pending  topic  at  another  time. 


76  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  20 

it  can  be  laid  on  the  table  or  postponed  until 
after  the  close  of  the  interrupting  question, 
by  a  majority  vote. 

Special  Orders  made  at  different  times  for 
specified  hours.  When  special  orders  that 
have  been  made  at  different  times  come  into 
conflict,  the  one  that  was  first  made  takes  pre- 
cedence of  all  special  orders  made  afterwards, 
though  the  latter  were  made  for  an  earlier 
hour.  No  special  order  can  be  made  so  as  to 
interfere  with  one  previously  made.  By  re- 
considering the  vote  making  the  first  special 
order,  they  can  be  arranged  in  the  order  de- 
sired. Suppose,  after  a  special  order  has  been 
made  for  3  p.  m.,  one  is  made  for  2  p.  m.,  and 
still  later  one  is  made  for  4  p.  m.  ;  if  the  2 
p.  M.  order  is  pending  at  3  p.  m.,  the  order  for 
3  p.  M.,  having  been  made  first,  interrupts  it 
and  continues,  if  not  previously  disposed  of, 
beyond  4  p.  M.,  regardless  of  the  special  order 
for  that  hour.  When  it,  the  3  p.  m.  order,  is 
disposed  of,  the  special  order  for  2  p.  m.  is 
resumed  even  if  it  is  after  4  o'clock,  because 
the  2  p.  M.  order  was  made  before  the  4  p.  m. 
order.  The  only  exception  to  this  rule  is  in 
the  case  of  the  hour  fixed  for  recess  or  ad- 
journment. When  that  hour  arrives  the  chair 
announces  it  and  declares  the  assembly  ad- 
journed, or  in  recess,  even  though  there  is  a 
special  order  pending  that  was  made  before 
the  hour  for  recess  or  adjournment  was  fixed. 
When  the  chair  announces  the  hour,  any  one 


§  20]  ORDERS  OF  THE  DAY  J'J 

can  move  to  postpone  the  time  for  adjourn- 
ment, or  to  extend  the  time  for  considering 
the  pending  question  a  certain  number  of  min- 
utes. These  motions  are  undebatable,  and 
require  a  two-thirds  vote. 

Special  Orders  ivhen  only  the  day  or 
meeting  is  specified.  Often  subjects  are 
made  special  orders  for  a  meeting  without 
specifying  an  hour.  If  the  order  of  business 
provides  for  orders  of  the  day,  they  come  up 
under  that  head,  taking  precedence  of  general 
orders.  If  there  is  no  provision  for  orders  of 
the  day,  they  come  up  under  unfinished  busi- 
ness— that  is,  before  new  business.  If  there 
is  no  order  of  business,  then  they  may  be 
called  up  at  any  time  after  the  minutes  are 
disposed  of. 

The  Special  Order  for  a  Meeting.  Some- 
times a  subject  is  made  the  special  order  for 
a  meeting,  as  for  Tuesday  morning  in  a  con- 
vention, in  which  case  it  is  announced  by  the 
chair  as  the  pending  business  immediately 
after  the  disposal  of  the  minutes.  This  par- 
ticular form  is  used  when  it  is  desired  to  de- 
vote an  entire  meeting,  or  so  much  of  it  as  is 
necessary,  to  considering  a  special  subject,  as 
the  revision  of  the  by-laws.  This  form  of  a 
special  order  should  take  precedence  of  the 
other  forms  of  special  orders.  It  is  debatable 
and  amendable. 


78  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  21 


Art.  IV.     Incidental  Motions. 

See  13  for  a  list  and  the  general  characteristics  of 
these  motions. 

21.  Questions  of   Order  and  Appeal.     A 

Question  of  Order  takes  precedence  of  the 
pending  question  out  of  which  it  arises ;  is  in 
order  when  another  has  the  floor,  even  inter- 
rupting a  speech  or  the  reading  of  a  report; 
does  not  require  a  second ;  cannot  be  amended 
or  have  any  other  subsidiary  motion  appHed 
to  it ;  yields  to  privileged  motions  and  the  mo- 
tion to  lay  on  the  table ;  and  must  be  decided 
by  the  presiding  officer  without  debate,  unless 
in  doubtful  cases  he  submits  the  question  to 
the  assembly  for  decision,  in  which  case  it  is 
debatable  whenever  an  appeal  would  be.  Be- 
fore rendering  his  decision  he  may  request 
the  advice  of  persons  of  experience,  which 
advice  or  opinion  should  usually  be  given  sit- 
ting to  avoid  the  appearance  of  debate.  If 
the  chair  is  still  in  doubt,  he  may  submit  the 
question  to  the  assembly  for  its  decision  in  a 
manner  similar  to  this :  ''Mr.  A  raises  the 
point  of  order  that  the  amendment  just  offered 
[state  the  amendment]  is  not  germane  to  the 
resolution.  The  chair  is  in  doubt,  and  sub- 
mits the  question  to  the  assembly.  The  ques- 
tion is,  Ts  the  amendment  germane  to  the 
resolution?'  "  As  no  appeal  can  be  taken  from 
the  decision  of  the  assembly,  this  question  is 


§2l]  QUESTIONS  OF  ORDER  79 

open  to  debate  whenever  an  appeal  would  be, 
if  the  chair  decided  the  question  and  an  ap- 
peal were  made  from  that  decision.  There- 
fore, it  is  debatable  except  when  it  relates  to 
indecorum,  or  transgression  of  the  rules  of 
speaking,  or  to  the  priority  of  business,  or 
when  it  is  made  during  a  division  of  the  as- 
sembly, or  while  an  undebatable  question  is 
pending.  The  question  is  put  thus :  "As  many 
as  are  of  opinion  that  the  amendment  is  ger- 
mane [or  that  the  point  is  well  taken]  say 
aye;  as  many  as  are  of  a  contrary  opinion 
say  no.  The  ayes  have  it,  the  amendment  is  in 
order,  and  the  question  is  on  its  adoption." 
If  the  negative  vote  is  the  larger  it  would  be 
announced  thus :  ''The  noes  have  it,  the 
amendment  is  out  of  order,  and  the  question 
is  on  the  adoption  of  the  resolution."  When- 
ever the  presiding  officer  decides  a  question 
of  order,  he  has  the  right,  without  leaving  his 
chair,  to  state  the  reasons  for  his  decision, 
and  any  two  members  have  the  right  to  appeal 
from  the  decision,  one  making  the  appeal  and 
the  other  seconding  it. 

It  is  the  duty  of  the  presiding  officer  to  en- 
force the  rules  and  orders  of  the  assembly, 
without  debate  or  delay.  It  is  also  the  right 
of  every  member  who  notices  the  breach  of  a 
rule,  to  insist  upon  its  enforcement.  In  such  a 
case  he  rises  from  his  seat  and  says,  "Mr. 
Chairman,  I  rise  to  a  point  of  order."  The 
speaker  immediately  takes  his  seat,  and  the 


8o  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  21 

chairman  requests  the  member  to  state  his 
point  of  order,  which  he  does  and  resumes  his 
seat.  The  chair  decides  the  point,  and  then, 
if  no  appeal  is  taken  and  the  member  has  not 
been  guilty  of  any  serious  breach  of  decorum, 
the  chair  permits  him  to  resume  his  speech. 
But,  if  his  remarks  are  decided  to  be  improper 
and  any  one  objects,  he  cannot  continue  with- 
out a  vote  of  the  assembly  to  that  effect.  [See 
43  for  a  full  treatment  of  this  subject  of  inde- 
corum in  debate] .  The  question  of  order  must 
be  raised  at  the  time  the  breach  of  order  oc- 
curs, so  that  after  a  motion  has  been  discussed 
it  is  too  late  to  raise  the  question  as  to  whether 
it  was  in  order,  or  for  the  chair  to  rule  the 
motion  out  of  order.  The  only  exception  is 
where  the  motion  is  in  violation  of  the  laws, 
or  the  constitution,  by-laws,  or  standing  rules 
of  the  organization,  or  of  fundamental  parlia- 
mentary principles,  so  that  if  adopted  it  would 
be  null  and  void.  In  such  cases  it  is  never  too 
late  to  raise  a  point  of  order  against  the  mo- 
tion. This  is  called  raising  a  question,  or  point, 
of  order,  because  the  member  in  effect  puts 
to  the  chair,  whose  duty  it  is  to  enforce  order, 
the  question  as  to  whether  there  is  not  now  a 
breach  of  order. 

Instead  of  the  method  just  described,  it  is 
usual,  when  it  is  simply  a  case  of  improper 
language  used  in  debate,  for  the  chair  to  call 
the  speaker  to  order,  or  for  a  member  to  say, 
*T  call  the  gentleman  to  order."     The  chair- 


§21 J  APPEAL  8l 

man  decides  whether  the  speaker  is  in  or  out 
of  order,  and  proceeds  as  before. 

Appeal.  An  appeal  may  be  made  from  any 
decision  of  the  chair  (except  when  another 
appeal  is  pending),  but  it  can  be  made  only 
at  the  time  the  ruling  is  made.  It  is  in  order 
while  another  member  has  the  floor.  If  any 
debate  or  business  has  intervened  it  is  too  late 
to  appeal.  An  answer  to  a  parliamentary  in- 
quiry is  not  a  decision,  and  therefore  cannot 
be  appealed  from.  While  an  appeal  is  pending 
a  question  of  order  may  be  raised,  which  the 
chair  decides  peremptorily,  there  being  no  ap- 
peal from  this  decision.  But  the  question  as 
to  the  correctness  of  the  ruling  can  be  brought 
up  afterwards  when  no  other  business  is  pend- 
ing. An  appeal  yields  to  privileged  motions, 
and  to  the  motion  to  lay  on  the  table.  The 
effect  of  subsidiary  motions  is  as  follows :  An 
appeal  cannot  be  amended.  If  the  decision 
from  which  an  appeal  is  taken  is  of  such  a 
nature  that  the  reversal  of  the  ruling  would 
not  in  any  way  affect  the  consideration  of,  or 
action  on,  the  main  question,  then  the  main 
question  does  not  adhere  to  the  appeal,  and  its 
consideration  is  resumed  as  soon  as  the  appeal 
is  laid  on  the  table,  postponed,  etc.  But  if  the 
ruling  affects  the  consideration  of,  or  action 
on,  the  main  question,  then  the  main  question 
adheres  to  the  appeal,  and  when  the  latter  is 
laid  on  the  table,  or  postponed,  the  main  ques- 
tion goes  with  it.    Thus,  if  the  appeal  is  from 


82  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  21 

the  decision  that  a  proposed  amendment  is  out 
of  order  and  the  appeal  is  laid  on  the  table, 
it  would  be  absurd  to  come  to  final  action  on 
the  main  question  and  then  afterwards  reverse 
the  decision  of  the  chair  and  take  up  the 
amendment  when  there  was  no  question  to 
amend.  The  vote  on  an  appeal  may  be 
reconsidered. 

An  appeal  cannot  be  debated  when  it  relates 
simply  to  indecorum,  or  to  transgression  of  the 
rules  of  speaking,  or  to  the  priority  of  busi- 
ness, or  if  made  during  a  division  of  the  as- 
sembly, or  while  the  immediately  pending 
question  is  undebatable.  When  debatable,  as 
it  is  in  all  other  cases,  no  member  is  allowed 
to  speak  more  than  once  except  the  presiding 
officer,  who  may  at  the  close  of  the  debate 
answer  the  arguments  against  the  decision. 
Whether  debatable  or  not,  the  chairman  when 
stating  the  question  on  the  appeal  may,  with- 
out leaving  the  chair,  state  the  reasons  for  his 
decision. 

When  a  member  wishes  to  appeal  from  the 
decision  of  the  chair  he  rises  as  soon  as  the 
decision  is  made,  even  though  another  has  the 
floor,  and  without  waiting  to  be  recognized 
by  the  chair,  says,  "Mr.  Chairman,  I  appeal 
from  the  decision  of  the  chair."  If  this  appeal 
is  seconded,  the  chair  should  state  clearly  the 
question  at  issue,  and  his  reasons  for  the  de- 
cision if  he  thinks  it  necessary,  and  then  state 
the  question  thus:     "The  question  is,  'Shall 


§22]  SUSPENSION  OF  THE  RULES  83 

the  decision  of  the  chair  stand  as  the  judgment 
of  the  assembly  [or  society,  or  club,  etc.]?'" 
or,  ''Shall  the  decision  of  the  chair  be  sus- 
tained?" To  put  the  question  he  would  say, 
''Those  in  the  affirmative  say  aye^'  and  after 
the  affirmative  vote  has  been  taken  he  would 
say,  "Those  in  the  negative  say  no.  The  ayes 
have  it  and  the  decision  of  the  chair  is  sus- 
tained [or  stands  as  the  judgment  of  the  as- 
sembly]." Or,  "The  noes  have  it  and  the  deci- 
sion of  the  chair  is  reversed."  In  either  case  he 
immediately  announces  what  is  before  the  as- 
sembly as  the  result  of  the  vote.  If  there  is  a 
tie  vote  the  chair  is  sustained,  and  if  the  chair 
is  a  member  of  the  assembly  he  may  vote  to 
make  it  a  tie,  on  the  principle  that  the  decision 
of  the  chair  stands  until  reversed  by  a  ma- 
jority, including  the  chairman  if  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  assembly.  In  stating  the  question, 
the  word  "assembly"  should  be  replaced  by 
"society,"  or  "club,"  or  "board,"  etc.,  as  the 
case  may  be.  The  announcement  of  a  vote  is 
not  a  decision  of  the  chair.  If  a  member 
doubts  the  correctness  of  the  announcement 
he  cannot  appeal,  but  should  call  for  a  "Di- 
vision" [25]. 

22.  Suspension  of  the  Rules.*     The  mo- 

•  In  Congress  the  former  practice  was  to  suspend  the 
rule  as  to  the  order  of  business  in  order  to  consider  a 
particular  bill,  but  now  it  is  customary  "to  suspend  the 
rule  and  pass"  the  resolution  or  biU,  H.  R.  Rule  27  con- 
tains the  following  : 

"1.  No  rule  shall  be  suspended  except  by  a  vote  oi  two- 
thirds  of  the  members  voting,  a  quorum  being  present ; 
nor  shall  the  Speaker  entertain  a  motion  to  suspend  the 


84  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§22 

tion  to  suspend  the  rules  may  be  made  at  any 
time  when  no  question  is  pending;  or  while 
a  question  is  pending,  provided  it  is  for  a 
purpose  connected  with  that  question.  It 
yields  to  all  the  privileged  motions  (except  a 
call  for  the  orders  of  the  day),  to  the  motion 
to  lay  on  the  table,  and  to  incidental  motions 
arising  out  of  itself.  It  is  undebatable  and 
cannot  be  amended  or  have  any  other  sub- 
sidiary motion  applied  to  it,  nor  can  a  vote  on 
it  be  reconsidered,  nor  can  a  motion  to  suspend 
the  rules  for  the  same  purpose  be  renewed  at 
the  same  meeting  except  by  unanimous  con- 
sent, though  it  may  be  renewed  after  an  ad- 
journment, even  if  the  next  meeting  is  held 
the  same  day. 

When  the  assembly  wishes  to  do  something 
that  cannot  be  done  without  violating  its  own 
rules,  and  yet  it  is  not  in  conflict  with  its 
constitution,  or  by-laws-,  or  with  the  funda- 
mental principles  of  parliamentary  law,  it 
''suspends  the  rules  that  interfere  with"  the 
proposed  action.    The  object  of  the  suspension 

rules  except  on  the  first  and  tbird  Mondays  of  each 
month,  preference  being  given  on  the  first  Monday  to 
individuals  and  on  the  third  Monday  to  committees,  and 
during  the  last  six  days  of  a  session. 

"2.  All  motions  to  suspend  the  rules  shall,  before  be- 
ing submitted  to  the  House,  be  seconded  by  a  majority  by 
tellers,  if  demanded. 

"3.  When  a  motion  to  suspend  the  rules  has  been  sec- 
onded, it  shall  be  in  order,  before  the  final  vote  is  taken 
thereon,  to  debate  the  proposition  to  be  voted  upon  for 
forty  minutes,  one-half  of  such  time  to  be  given  to  debate 
in  favor  of,  and  one-half  to  debate  in  opposition  to,  such 
proposition ;  and  the  same  right  of  debate  shall  be 
allowed  whenever  the  previous  question  has  been  ordered 
on  any  proposition  on  which  there  has  been  no  debate." 


§22]  SUSPENSION   OF  THE  RULES  85 

must  be  specified,  and  nothing  else  can  be  done 
under  the  suspension.  The  rules  that  can  be 
suspended  are  those  relating  to  priority  of 
business,  or  to  business  procedure,  or  to  ad- 
mission to  the  meetings,  etc.,  and  would  usually 
be  comprised  under  the  heads  of  rules  of  order. 
Sometimes  societies  include  in  their  by-laws 
some  rules  relating  to  the  transaction  of  busi- 
ness without  any  intention,  evidently,  of  giving 
these  rules  any  greater  stability  than  is  pos- 
sessed by  other  rules  of  their  class,  and  they 
may  be  suspended  the  same  as  if  they  were 
called  rules  of  order.  A  standing  rule  as 
defined  in  67  may  be  suspended  by  a  majority 
vote.  But  sometimes  the  term  ''standing  rules" 
is  applied  to  what  are  strictly  rules  of  order, 
and  then,  like  rules  of  order,  they  require  a 
two-thirds  vote  for  their  suspension.  Noth- 
ing that  requires  previous  notice  and  a  two- 
thirds  vote  for  its  amendment  can  be  sus- 
pended by  less  than  a  two-thirds  vote. 

No  rule  can  be  suspended  when  the  negative 
vote  is  as  large  as  the  minority  protected  by 
that  rule ;  nor  can  a  rule  protecting  absentees 
be  suspended  even  by  general  consent  or  a 
unanimous  vote.  For  instance,  a  rule  requir- 
ing notice  of  a  motion  to  be  given  at  a  previous 
meeting  cannot  be  suspended  by  a  unanimous 
vote,  as  it  protects  absentees  who  do  not  give 
their  consent.  A  rule  requiring  officers  to  be 
elected  by  ballot  cannot  be  suspended  by  a 
unanimous  vote,  because  the  rule  protects  a 


86  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§22 

minority  of  one  from  exposing  his  vote,  and 
this  he  must  do  if  he  votes  openly  in  the  nega- 
tive, or  objects  to  giving  general  consent.  Nor 
can  this  result  be  accomplished  by  voting  that 
the  ballot  of  the  assembly  be  cast  by  the  sec- 
retary or  any  one  else,  as  this  does  away  with 
the  essential  principle  of  the  ballot,  namely, 
secrecy,  and  is  a  suspension  of  the  by-law,  and 
practically  allows  a  viva  voce  vote.  If  it  is 
desired  to  allow  the  suspension  of  a  by-law 
that  cannot  be  suspended  under  these  rules, 
then  it  is  necessary  to  provide  in  the  by-laws 
for  its  suspension. 

The  Form  of  this  motion  is,  *'to  suspend  the 
rules  that  interfere  with,"  etc.,  stating  the 
object  of  the  suspension,  as,  "the  consideration 

of  a  resolution  on ,"  which  resolution 

is  immediately  offered  after  the  rules  are  sus- 
pended, the  chair  recognizing  for  that  purpose 
the  member  that  moved  to  suspend  the  rules. 
Or,  if  it  is  desired  to  consider  a  question  which 
has  been  laid  on  the  table,  and  cannot  be  taken 
up  at  that  time  because  that  class  of  business 
is  not  then  in  order,  or  to  consider  a  question 
that  has  been  postponed  to  another  time,  or 
that  is  in  the  order  of  business  for  another 
time,  then  the  motion  may  be  made  thus,  *'I 
move  to  suspend  the  rules  and  take  up   [or 

consider]  the  resolution "    When  the 

object  is  not  to  take  up  a  question  for  dis- 
cussion but  to  adopt  it  without  debate,  the 
motion  is  made  thus :    *'I  move  to  suspend  the 


§  23]  OBJECTION  TO  THE  QUESTION  87 

rules  and  adopt  [or  agree  to]  the  following 
resolution,"  which  is  then  read :  or,  *'I  move 
to  suspend  the  rules,  and  adopt  [or  agree  to] 

the  resolution  on "    The  same  form 

may  be  used  in  a  case  like  this :  "I  move  to 
suspend  the  rules,  and  admit  to  the  privileges 
of  the  floor  members  of  sister  societies,"  which 
merely  admits  them  to  the  hall. 

Instead  of  a  formal  motion  to  suspend  the 
rules,  it  is  more  usual  to  ask  for  general  con- 
sent to  do  the  particular  business  that  is  out 
of  order.  As  soon  as  the  request  is  made  the 
chair  inquires  if  there  is  any  objection,  and  if 
no  one  objects,  he  directs  the  member  to  pro- 
ceed just  as  if  the  rules  had  been  suspended 
by  a  formal  vote.   [See  General  Consent  48.] 

23.  Objection  to  the  Consideration  of  a 
Question.  An  objection  may  be  made  to 
the  consideration  of  any  original  main  motion, 
and  to  no  others,  provided  it  is  made  before 
there  is  any  debate  or  before  any  subsidiary  mo- 
tion is  stated.  Thus,  it  may  be  applied  to  peti- 
tions and  to  communications  that  are  not  from 
a  superior  body,  as  well  as  to  resolutions.  It 
cannot  be  applied  to  incidental  main  motions 
[11],  such  as  amendments  to  by-laws,  or  to 
reports  of  committees  on  subjects  referred  to 
them,  etc.  It  is  similar  to  a  question  of  order 
in  that  it  can  be  made  when  another  has  the 
floor,  and  does  not  require  a  second ;  and  as 
the  chairman  can  call  a  member  to  order,  so 
he  can  put  this  question,  if  he  deems  it  ad- 


88  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  23 

visable,  upon  his  own  responsibility.  It  can- 
not be  debated,  or  amended,  or  have  any  other 
subsidiary  motion  applied  to  it.  It  yields  to 
privileged  motions  and  to  the  motion  to  lay 
on  the  table.  A  negative,  but  not  an  af- 
firmative vote  on  the  consideration  may  be 
reconsidered.* 

When  an  original  main  motion  is  made  and 
any  member  wishes  to  prevent  its  considera- 
tion, he  rises,  although  another  has  the  floor, 
and  says,  "Mr.  Chairman,  I  object  to  its  con- 
sideration." The  chairman  immediately  puts 
the  question,  "The  consideration  of  the  ques- 
tion has  been  objected  to:  Will  the  assembly 
consider  it?  [or,  Shall  the  question  be  con- 
sidered?]" If  decided  in  the  negative  by 
a  two-thirds  vote,  the  whole  matter  is  dis- 
missed for  that  session ;  otherwise,  the  discus- 
sion continues  as  if  this  objection  had  never 
been  made.  The  same  question  may  be  in- 
troduced at  any  succeeding  session. 

The  Object  of  this  motion  is  not  to  cut  off 
debate  (for  which  other  motions  are  provided) 

*  In  Congress  the  introduction  of  a  question  may  be 
prevented  temporarily  by  a  majority  vote  under  H.  R. 
Rule  16,  §8,  which  is  as  follows  :  "3.  When  any  motion 
or  proposition  is  made,  the  question,  Will  the  House  now 
consider  it?  shall  not  be  put  unless  demanded  by  a  mem- 
ber." If  the  House  refuses  to  consider  a  bill  the  vote 
cannot  be  reconsidered.  But  this  refusal  does  not  pre- 
vent the  question's  being  again  introduced  the  same 
session.  In  assemblies  having  brief  sessions  lasting 
usually  only  a  few  hours,  or  at  most  not  over  a  week,  it 
is  necessary  that  the  assembly  have  the  power  by  a 
two-thirds  vote  to  decide  that  a  question  shall  not  be 
introduced  during  that  session.  As  the  refusal  to  con- 
sider the  question  prevents  its  renewal  during  the  ses- 
sion, the  vote  may  be  reconsidered. 


§  24]  DIVISION   OF  A   QUESTION  89 

but  to  enable  the  assembly  to  avoid  altogether 
any  question  which  it  may  deem  irrelevant, 
unprofitable,  or  contentious.  If  the  chair  con- 
siders the  question  entirely  outside  the  objects 
of  the  society,  he  should  rule  it  out  of  order, 
from  which  decision  an  appeal  may  be  taken. 

Objection  to  the  consideration  of  a  question 
must  not  be  confounded  with  objecting  where 
unanimous  consent,  or  a  majority  vote,  is  re- 
quired. Thus,  in  case  of  the  minority  of  a 
committee  desiring  to  submit  their  views,  a 
single  member  saying,  *T  object/'  prevents  it, 
unless  the  assembly  by  a  majority  vote  grants 
them  permission. 

24.  Division  of  a  Question,  and  Consid- 
eration by  Paragraph.  Division  of  a  Ques- 
tion.'^ The  motion  to  divide  a  question  can  be 
applied  only  to  main  motions  and  to  amend- 
ments. It  takes  precedence  of  nothing  but  the 
motion  to  postpone  indefinitely,  and  yields  to 
all  privileged,  incidental,  and  subsidiary  mo- 
tions except  to  amend  and  to  postpone  indefi- 
nitely. It  may  be  amended  but  can  have  no 
other  subsidiary  motion  appUed  to  it.  It  is 
undebatable.  It  may  be  made  at  any  time 
when  the  question  to  be  divided,  or  the  motion 
to  postpone  indefinitely,  is  immediately  pend- 
ing, even  after  the  previous  question  has  been 


*  Section  6  of  H.  R.  Rule  16  is  as  follows  :  "6.  On  the 
demand  of  any  member,  before  the  question  is  put,  a  ques- 
tion shall  be  divided  if  it  include  propositions  so  distinct 
in  substance  that  one  being  taken  away  a  substantive 
proposition  shall  remain." 


90  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  24 

ordered.  But  it  is  preferable  to  divide  the 
question  when  it  is  first  introduced.  When 
divided  each  resolution  or  proposition  is  con- 
sidered and  voted  on  separately,  the  same  as 
if  it  had  been  offered  alone.  The  motion  to 
adopt,  which  was  pending  when  the  question 
was  divided,  applies  to  all  the  parts  into  which 
the  question  has  been  divided  and  should  not, 
therefore,  be  repeated.  The  formality  of  a 
vote  on  dividing  the  question  is  generally  dis- 
pensed with,  as  it  is  usually  arranged  by  gen- 
eral consent.  But  if  this  cannot  be  done,  then 
a  formal  motion  to  divide  is  necessary,  specify- 
ing the  exact  method  of  division. 

When  a  motion  relating  to  a  certain  subject 
contains  several  parts,  each  of  which  is  capable 
of  standing  as  a  complete  proposition  if  the 
others  are  removed,  it  can  be  divided  into  two 
or  more  propositions  to  be  considered  and 
voted  on  as  distinct  questions,  by  the  assem- 
bly's adopting  a  motion  to  divide  the  ques- 
tion in  a  specified  m*anner.  The  motion  must 
clearly  state  how  the  question  is  to  be  divided, 
and  any  one  else  may  propose  a  different 
division,  and  these  different  propositions,  or 
amendments,  should  be  treated  as  filling 
blanks ;  that  is,  they  should  be  voted  on  in  the 
order  in  which  they  are  made,  unless  they 
suggest  different  numbers  of  questions,  when 
the  largest  number  is  voted  on  first.  If  a  reso- 
lution includes  several  distinct  propositions, 
but  is  so  written  that  they  cannot  be  separated 


§  24]  DIVISION  OF  A  QUESTION  Q] 

without  its  being  rewritten,  the  question  can 
not  be  divided.  The  division  must  not  require 
the  secretary  to  do  more  than  to  mechanically 
separate  the  resolution  into  the  required  parts, 
prefixing  to  each  part  the  words  ''Resolved^ 
That,"  or  "Orderedy  That,"  and  dropping  con- 
junctions when  necessary,  and  replacing  pro- 
nouns by  the  nouns  for  which  the};  stand, 
wherever  the  division  makes  it  necessary. 
When  the  question  is  divided,  each  separate 
question  must  be  a  proper  one  for  the  as- 
sembly to  act  upon,  if  none  of  the  others  is 
adopted.  Thus,  a  motion  to  "commit  with  in- 
structions" is  indivisible;  because,  if  divided, 
and  the  motion  to  commit  should  fail,  then 
the  other  motion,  to  instruct  the  committee, 
would  be  absurd,  as  there  would  be  no  com- 
mittee to  instruct.  The  motion  to  "strike  out 
certain  words  and  insert  others"  is  strictly  one 
proposition  and  therefore  indivisible. 

If  a  series  of  independent  resolutions  re- 
lating to  different  subjects  is  included  in  one 
motion,  it  must  be  divided  on  the  request  of 
a  single  member,  which  request  may  be  made 
while  another  has  the  floor.  But  however 
complicated  a  single  proposition  may  be,  no 
member  has  a  right  to  insist  upon  its  division. 
His  remedy  is  to  move  that  it  be  divided,  if 
it  is  capable  of  division,  or,  if  not,  to  move  to 
strike  out  the  objectionable  parts.  A  motion 
to  strike  out  a  name  in  a  resolution  brings  the 
assembly  to  a  vote  on  that  name  just  as  well 


92  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  24 

as  would  a  division  of  the  question,  if  it  were 
allowed  to  go  to  that  extent,  which  it  is  not. 
If  a  series  of  resolutions  is  proposed  as  a 
substitute  for  another  series,  such  a  motion  is 
incapable  of  division;  but  a  motion  can  be 
made  to  strike  out  any  of  the  resolutions  be- 
fore the  vote  is  taken  on  the  substitution. 
After  they  have  been  substituted  it  is  too  late 
to  strike  out  any  of  them.  When  a  committee 
reports  a  number  of  amendments  to  a  resolu- 
tion referred  to  it,  one  vote  may  be  taken  on 
adopting,  or  agreeing  to,  all  the  amendments 
provided  no  one  objects.  But  if  a  single  mem- 
ber requests  separate  votes  on  one  or  more  of 
the  amendments,  they  must  be  considered  sep- 
arately. The  others  may  all  be  voted  on 
together. 

Consideration  by  Paragraph  or  Seriatim. 
Where  an  elaborate  proposition  is  submitted, 
like  a  series  of  resolutions  on  one  subject,  or 
a  set  of  by-laws,  the  parts  being  intimately 
connected,  it  should  not  be  divided.  The  di- 
vision would  add  greatly  to  the  difificulty  of 
perfecting  the  diflferent  paragraphs  or  by-laws 
by  amendments.  If  the  paragraphs  are  adopted 
separately,  and  amendments  to  succeeding 
paragraphs  make  it  necessary  to  amend  a  pre- 
ceding one,  it  can  be  done  only  by  first  recon- 
sidering the  vote  on  the  preceding  paragraph. 
In  the  case  of  by-laws  the  trouble  is  increased, 
because  each  by-law  goes  into  effect  as  soon  as 
adopted,  and  its  amendment  is  controlled  by 


§  24]         CONSIDERATION    BY    PARAGRAPH  93 

any  by-law  or  rule  that  may  have  been  adopted 
on  the  subject.  When  the  paragraphs  are 
voted  on  separately  no  vote  should  be  taken 
on  the  whole.  But  in  all  such  cases  the  proper 
course  is  to  consider  the  proposition  by  para- 
graph, or  section,  or  resolution,  or,  as  it  is 
often  called,  seriatim.  The  chair  should  always 
adopt  this  course  when  the  question  consists 
of  several  paragraphs  or  resolutions,  unless  he 
thinks  the  assembly  wishes  to  act  on  them  im- 
mediately as  a  whole,  when  he  asks  if  they 
shall  be  taken  up  by  paragraph,  and  the  matter 
is  settled  informally.  Should  the  chair  neglect 
to  take  up  the  proposition  by  paragraph,  any 
one  may  move  that  the  proposition  be  consid- 
ered by  paragraph,  or  seriatim. 

The  method  of  procedure  in  acting  upon  a 
complicated  report,  as,  a  set  of  by-laws^  or  a 
series  of  resolutions  that  cannot  well  be  di- 
vided, is  as  follows,  the  word  "paragraph" 
being  used  to  designate  the  natural  subdivis- 
ions, whether  they  are  paragraphs,  sections, 
articles,  or  resolutions.  The  member  sub- 
mitting the  report,  having  obtained  the  floor, 
says  that  such  and  such  a  committee  submits 
the  following  report ;  or,  that  the  committee 
recommends  the  adoption  of  the  following 
resolutions.  In  either  case  he  reads  the  report, 
or  resolutions,  and  moves  their  adoption. 
Should  he  neglect  to  move  their  adoption  the 
chair  should  call  for  such  a  motion,  or  he  may 
assume  the  motion  and  state  the  question  ac- 


94  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§24 

cordingly.  The  chairman,  or  the  secretary,  or 
the  member  who  reported  it,  as  the  chair  de- 
cides is  for  the  best  interest  of  the  assembly, 
then  reads  the  first  paragraph,  which  is  ex- 
plained by  the  reporting  member,  after  which 
the  chair  asks,  "Are  there  any  amendments  to 
this  paragraph?"  The  paragraph  is  then  open 
to  debate  and  amendment.  When  no  further 
amendments  are  proposed  to  this  paragraph, 
the  chair  says,  ''There  being  no  further  amend- 
ments to  this  paragraph  the  next  will  be  read." 
In  a  similar  manner  each  paragraph  in  succes- 
sion is  read,  explained  if  necessary,  debated, 
and  amended,  the  paragraphs  being  amended 
but  not  adopted.  After  all  the  paragraphs 
have  been  amended,  the  chair  says  the  entire 
by-law,  or  paper,  or  resolution  is  open  to 
amendment,  when  additional  paragraphs  may 
be  inserted  and  any  paragraph  may  be  further 
amended.  When  the  paper  is  satisfactorily 
amended,  the  preamble,  if  any,  is  treated  the 
same  way,  and  then  a  single  vote  is  taken  on 
the  adoption  of  the  entire  paper,  report,  or 
series  of  resolutions.  If  the  previous  question 
is  ordered  on  a  resolution,  or  series  of  resolu- 
tions, or  on  a  set  of  by-laws,  before  the  pre- 
amble has  been  considered  it  does  not  apply  to 
the  preamble,  unless  expressly  so  stated,  be- 
cause the  preamble  cannot  be  considered  until 
after  debate  has  ceased  on  the  resolutions  or 
by-laws.  It  is  not  necessary  to  amend  the 
numbers  of  the  sections,  paragraphs,  etc.,  as 


§  25]  DIVISION  OF  THE   ASSEMBLY  95 

it  is  the  duty  of  the  secretary  to  make  all  such 
corrections  where  changes  are  rendered  neces- 
sary by  amendments. 

25.  Division  of  the  Assembly,  and  other 
Motions  relating  to  Voting.  A  Division  of 
the  Assembly"^  may  be  called  for,  without  ob- 
taining the  floor,  at  any  time  after  the  question 
has  been  put,  even  after  the  vote  has  been  an- 
nounced and  another  has  the  floor,  provided 
the  vote  v^^as  taken  viva  voce,  or  by  show  of 
hands,  and  it  is  called  for  before  another  mo- 
tion has  been  made.  This  call,  or  motion,  is 
made  by  saying,  *'I  call  for  a  division,"  or  ''I 
doubt  the  vote,"  or  simply  by  calling  out, 
"Division."  It  does  not  require  a  second,  and 
cannot  be  debated,  or  amended,  or  have  any 
other  subsidiary  motion  applied  to  it.  As  soon 
as  a  division  is  called  for,  the  chair  proceeds 
again  to  take  the  vote,  this  time  by  having  the 
affirmative  rise,  and  then  when  they  are  seated 
having  the  negative  rise.  While  any  member 
has  the  right  to  insist  upon  a  rising  vote,  or  a 
division,  where  there  is  any  question  as  to  the 
vote  being  a  true  expression  of  the  will  of 
the  assembly,  the  chair  should  not  permit  this 
privilege  to  be  abused  to  the  annoyance  of  the 
assembly,  by  members  constantly  demanding  a 
division  where  there  is  a  full  vote  and  no 
question  as  to  which  side  is  in  the  majority.  It 
requires  a  majority  vote  to  order  the  vote  to 
be  counted,  or  to  be  taken  by  yeas  and  nays 

*  See  foot  note,  page  40,  for  the  rule  of  Congress. 


96  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  26 

(roll  call)  or  by  ballot.  These  motions  are 
incidental  to  the  question  that  is  pending  or 
has  just  been  pending,  and  cannot  be  debated. 
When  different  methods  are  suggested  they 
are  usually  treated  not  as  amendments,  but 
like  filling  blanks,  the  vote  being  taken  first  on 
the  one  taking  the  most  time.  In  practice  the 
method  of  taking  a  vote  is  generally  agreed 
upon  without  the  formality  of  a  vote. 

When  the  vote  is  taken  by  ballot  during  a 
meeting  of  the  assembly,  as  soon  as  the  chair 
thinks  all  have  voted  who  wish  to,  he  inquires 
if  all  have  voted,  and  if  there  is  no  response 
he  declares  the  polls  closed,  and  the  tellers  pro- 
ceed to  count  the  vote.  If  a  formal  motion  is 
made  to  close  the  polls  it  should  not  be  rec- 
ognized until  all  have  presumably  voted,  and 
then  it  requires  a  two-thirds  vote  like  motions 
to  close  debate  or  nominations.  If  members 
enter  afterw^ards  and  it  is  desired  to  reopen 
the  polls  it  can  be  done  by  a  majority  vote. 
None  of  these  motions  are  debatable. 

26.  Motions  relating  to  Nominations.  If 
no  method  of  making  nominations  is  desig- 
nated by  the  by-laws  or  rules,  and  the  assem- 
bly has  adopted  no  order  on  the  subject,  any 
one  can  make  a  motion  prescribing  the  method 
of  nomination  for  an  office  to  be  filled.  If  the 
election  is  pending,  this  motion  is  incidental 
to  it ;  if  the  election  is  not  pending,  it  is  an 
incidental  main  motion.  It  is  undebatable  and 
when  it  is  an  incidental  motion  it  can  have  no 


§  27]  REQUESTS  97 

subsidiary  motion  applied  to  it  except  to 
amend.  It  yidds  to  privileged  motions.  The 
motion  may  provide  for  nominations  being 
made  by  the  chair ;  or  from  the  floor,  or  open 
nominations  as  it  is  also  called ;  or  for  a  nomi- 
nating committee  to  be  appointed ;  or  for 
nominations  to  be  made  by  ballot ;  or  by  mail. 
I  See  Nominations  and  Elections,  66.] 

Closing  and  Reopening  Nominations.  Be- 
fore proceeding  to  an  election,  if  nominations 
have  been  made  from  the  floor  or  by  a  com- 
mittee, the  chair  should  inquire  if  there  are  any 
further  nominations.  If  there  is  no  response 
he  declares  the  nominations  closed.  In  very 
large  bodies  it  is  customary  to  make  a  motion 
to  close  nominations,  but  until  a  reasonable 
time  has  been  given,  this  motion  is  not  in 
order.  It  is  a  main  motion,  incidental  to  the 
nominations  and  elections,  cannot  be  debated, 
can  be  amended  as  to  the  time,  but  can  have 
no  other  subsidiary  motion  applied  to  it.  It 
yields  to  privileged  motions,  and  requires  a 
two-thirds  vote  as  it  deprives  members  of  one 
of  their  rights. 

If  for  any  reason  it  is  desired  to  reopen 
nominations  it  may  be  done  by  a  majority 
vote.  This  motion  is  undebatable.  It  can  be 
amended  as  to  the  time,  but  no  other  subsidi- 
ary motion  can  be  applied  to  it.  It  yields  tc 
privileged  motions.  . 

27.  Requests  Growing  out  of  the  Business 
of  the  Assembly.     During  the  meetings  of 


98  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  2J 

a  deliberative  assembly  there  are  occasions 
when  members  wish  to  obtain  information,  or 
to  do  or  to  have  done  things  that  necessitate 
their  making  a  request.  Among  these  are*  the 
following,  which  will  be  treated  separately : 

(a)  Parliamentary  Inquiry: 

(b)  Request  for  Information ; 

(c)  Leave  to  JVithdrazv  a  Motion; 

(d)  Reading  Papers; 

(e)  To  be  Excused  from  a  Duty; 
(/)    For  any  other  Privilege. 

(a)  Parliamentary  Inquiry.  A  parliamen- 
tary inquiry,  if  it  relates  to  a  question  that 
requires  immediate  attention,  may  be  made 
while  another  has  the  floor,  or  may  even  inter- 
rupt a  speech.  It  should  not,  however,  be  per- 
mitted to  interrupt  a  speaker  any  more  than  is 
necessary  to  do  justice  to  the  inquirer.  It 
yields  to  privileged  motions,  if  they  were  in 
order  when  the  inquiry  was  made,  and  it  can- 
not be  debated  or  amended  or  have  any  other 
subsidiary  motion  applied  to  it.  The  inquirer 
does  not  obtain  the  floor,  but  rises  and  says, 
**Mr.  Chairman.  I  rise  to  a  parliamentary  in- 
quiry." The  chairman  asks  him  to  state  his 
inquiry,  and  if  he  deems  it  pertinent,  he  an- 
swers it.  Or,  if  the  inquiry  is  made  when 
another  has  the  floor,  and  there  is  no  necessity 
for  answering  it  until  the  speech  is  finished, 
the  chair  may  defer  his  answer  until  the 
speaker  has  closed  his  remarks.  While  it  is 
not  the  duty  of  the  chairman  to  answer  ques- 


§  27]  REQUESTS  99 

tions  of  parliamentary  law  in  general,  it  is  his 
duty  when  requested  by  a  member,  to  answer 
any  questions  on  parliamentary  law  pertinent 
to  the  pending  business  that  may  be  necessary 
to  enable  the  member  to  make  a  suitable  mo- 
tion or  to  raise  a  point  of  order.  The  chair- 
man is  supposed  to  be  familiar  with  parliamen- 
tary law,  while  many  of  the  members  are  not. 
A  member  wishing  to  raise  a  point  of  order 
and  yet  in  doubt,  should  rise  to  a  parliamen- 
tary inquiry  and  ask  for  information.  Or,  for 
instance,  he  may  wish  to  have  the  assembly 
act  immediately  on  a  subject  that  is  in  the 
hands  of  a  committee,  and  he  does  not  know 
how  to  accomplish  it ; — his  recourse  is  a  par- 
liamentary inquiry. 

(b)  Request  for  Information.  A  request 
for  information  relating  to  the  pending  busi- 
ness is  treated  just  as  a  parliamentary  inquiry, 
and  has  the  same  privileges.  The  inquirer 
rises  and  says,  "Mr.  Chairman,  I  rise  for  in- 
formation." or,  *T  rise  to  a  point  of  informa- 
tion," whereupon  the  chair  directs  him  to 
state  the  point  upon  which  he  desires  informa- 
tion, and  the  procedure  continues  as  in  case  of 
a  parliamentary  inquiry.  If  the  information 
is  desired  of  the  speaker,  instead  of  the  chair, 
the  inquirer  upon  rising  says,  **Mr.  Chairman, 
I  should  like  to  ask  the  gentleman  a  question." 
The  chairman  inquires  if  the  speaker  is  willing 
to  be  interrupted,  and  if  he  consents,  he  directs 
the  inquirer  to  proceed.     The  inquirer  then 


lOO  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  2^ 

asks  the  question  through  the  chair,  thus,  "Mr. 
Chairman,  I  should  Hke  to  ask  the  gentleman," 
etc.  The  reply  is  made  in  the  same  way,  as 
it  is  not  in  order  for  members  to  address  one 
another  in  the  assembly.  While  each  speaker 
addresses  the  chair,  the  chair  remains  silent 
during  the  conversation.  If  the  speaker  con- 
sents to  the  interruption  the  time  consumed  is 
taken  out  of  his  time. 

(c)  Leave  to  Withdraw  or  Modify  a  Mo- 
tion* A  request  for  leave  to  withdraw  a 
motion,  or  a  motion  to  grant  such  leave,  may 
be  made  at  any  time  before  voting  on  the  ques- 
tion has  commenced,  even  though  the  motion 
has  been  amended.  It  requires  no  second.  It 
may  be  made  while  incidental  or  subsidiary 
motions  are  pending,  and  these  motions  cease 
to  be  before  the  assembly  when  the  question 
to  which  they  are  incidental  or  subsidiary  is 
withdrawn.  It  yields  to  privileged  motions, 
and  cannot  be  amended  or  have  any  other  sub- 
sidiary motion  applied  to  it.  It  is  undebatable. 
When  it  is  too  late  to  renew  it,  the  motion  to 
reconsider  cannot  be  withdrawn  without  unani- 
mous consent.  When  a  motion  is  withdrawn, 
the  effect  is  the  same  as  if  it  had  never  been 
made.  Until  a  motion  is  stated  by  the  chair- 
man, the  mover  may  withdraw  or  modify  it 


*  In  Congress  a  motion  "may  be  withdrawn  at  any  time 
before  a  decision  or  amendment."  H.  R.  Rule  16,  §2. 
The  rule  given  above,  which  is  in  accordance  with  the 
common  parliamentary  law.  is  better  adapted  to  ordinary 
assemblies. 


§2/]  REQUESTS  lOI 

without  asking  consent  of  any  one.  If  he 
modifies  it  the  seconder  may  withdraw  his 
second.  After  the  question  has  been  stated  it 
is  in  possession  of  the  assembly,  and  he  can 
neither  withdraw  nor  modify  it  without  the 
consent  of  the  assembly.  When  the  mover  re- 
quests permission  to  modify  or  withdraw  his 
motion,  the  chair  asks  if  there  is  any  objection, 
and  if  there  is  none  he  announces  that  the 
motion  is  withdrawn  or  modified  in  such  and 
such  a  way,  as  the  case  may  be.  If  any  one 
objects  the  chair  puts  the  question  on  granting 
the  request,  or  a  motion  may  be  made  to  grant 
it.  In  case  the  mover  of  a  main  motion  wishes 
to  accept  an  amendment  that  has  been  offered, 
without  obtaining  the  floor,  he  says,  ''Mr. 
Chairm.an,  I  accept  the  amendment."  If  no 
objection  is  made  the  chair  announces  the 
question  as  amended.  If  any  one  objects,  the 
chair  states  the  question  on  the  amendment,  as 
it  can  be  accepted  only  by  general  consent.  A 
request  for  leave  to  do  anything  is  treated  the 
same  as  a  motion  to  grant  the  leave  except 
that  the  request  must  be  made  by  the  maker 
of  the  motion  it  is  proposed  to  modify,  while 
the  motion  to  grant  the  leave  is  made  by  some 
one  else  and  therefore  requires  no  second  as 
it  is  favored  by  the  one  making  the  request. 

(d)  Reading  Papers.  If  any  member  ob- 
jects, a  member  has  no  right  to  read,  or  have 
the  clerk  read,  from  any  paper  or  book,  as  a 
part  of  his  speech,  without  the  permission  of 


I02  RULES  OF  ORDER  [^  ^7 

the  assembly.  The  request  or  the  motion  to 
grant  such  permission  yields  to  privileged  mo- 
tions. It  cannot  be  debated,  or  amended,  or 
have  any  other  subsidiary  motion  applied  to  it. 
It  is  customary,  however,  to  allow  members  to 
read  printed  extracts  as  parts  of  their  speeches, 
as  long  as  they  do  not  abuse  the  privilege. 

Where  papers  are  laid  before  the  assembly, 
every  member  has  a  right  to  have  them  read 
once,  or  if  there  is  debate  or  amendment  he 
has  the  right  to  have  them  read  again,  before 
he  can  be  compelled  to  vote  on  them.  When- 
ever a  member  asks  for  the  reading  of  any 
such  paper  evidently  for  information,  and  not 
for  delay,  the  chair  should  direct  it  to  be  read, 
if  no  one  objects.  But  a  member  has  not  the 
right  to  have  anything  read  (excepting  as 
stated  above)  without  permission  of  the  as- 
sembly. If  a  member  was  absent  from  the  hall 
when  the  paper  under  consideration  was  read, 
even  though  absent  on  duty,  he  cannot  insist 
on  its  being  again  read,  as  the  convenience  of 
the  assembly  is  of  more  importance  than  that 
of  a  single  member. 

(e)  To  be  Excused  from  a  Duty.  If  a 
member  is  elected  to  office,  or  appointed  on  a 
committee,  or  has  any  other  duty  placed  on 
him,  and  he  is  unable  or  unwilling  to  perform 
the  duty,  if  present  he  should  decline  it  im- 
mediately, and  if  absent  he  should,  upon  learn- 
ing of  the  fact,  at  once  notify  the  secretary 
or  president  orally  or  in  writing  that  he  can- 


§  2y]  REQUESTS  IO3 

not  accept  the  duty.  In  most  organizations 
members  cannot  be  compelled  to  accept  office 
or  perform  any  duties  not  required  by  the  by- 
laws, and  therefore  they  have  the  right  to 
decline  office.  But  if  a  member  does  not  im- 
mediately decline,  by  his  silence  he  accepts  the 
office,  and  is  under  obligation  to  perform  the 
duty  until  there  has  been  a  reasonable  oppor- 
tunity for  his  resignation  to  be  accepted.  The 
secretary,  for  instance,  cannot  relieve  himself 
from  the  responsibility  of  his  office  by  resign- 
ing. His  responsibility  as  secretary  does  not 
cease  until  his  resignation  is  accepted,  or,  at 
least,  until  there  has  been  a  reasonable  time 
for  its  acceptance.  It  is  seldom  good  policy 
to  decline  to  accept  a  resignation.  As  a  mem- 
ber has  no  right  to  continue  to  hold  an  office 
the  duties  of  which  he  cannot  or  will  not  per- 
form, so  a  society  has  no  right  to  force  an 
office  on  an  unwilling  member.  When  a 
member  declines  an  office,  no  motion  is  neces- 
sary, unless  the  by-laws  of  the  society  make 
the  performance  of  such  duties  obligatory 
upon  members.  .  If  the  member  is  present  at 
the  election,  the  vacancy  is  filled  as  if  no  one 
had  been  elected.  If  the  member  was  not 
present  at  the  election,  when  the  chair  an- 
nounces his  refusal  to  take  the  office,  as  it  is 
a  question  of  privilege  relating  to  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  society,  the  election  to  fill  the  va- 
cancy may  take  place  at  once  unless  notice  is 
required,  or  other  provision  for  filling  vacan- 


104  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§28 

cies  is  provided  by  the  by-laws.  In  the  case 
of  a  resignation,  the  chair  may  at  once  state 
the  question  on  accepting  it,  or  a  motion  to 
that  effect  may  be  made.  In  either  case  it  is 
debatable  and  may  have  any  subsidiary  motion 
applied  to  it.  It  yields  to  privileged  and  in- 
cidental motions. 

(/)  Request  for  Any  Other  Privilege. 
When  any  request  is  to  be  made  the  member 
rises  and  addresses  the  chair,  and  as  soon  as 
he  catches  the  eye  of  the  chairman,  states  at 
once  why  he  rises.  He  should  rise  as  soon  as 
a  member  yields  the  floor,  and,  though  the 
floor  is  assigned  to  another,  he  still  makes  his 
request.  He  should  never  interrupt  a  mem- 
ber while  speaking  unless  he  is  sure  that  the 
urgency  of  the  case  justifies  it.  As  a  rule  all 
such  questions  are  settled  by  general  consent, 
or  informally,  but,  if  objection  is  made,  a 
vote  is  taken.  An  explanation  may  be  re- 
quested or  given,  but  there  is  no  debate.  As 
these  requests  arise,  they  should  be  treated  so 
as  to  interrupt  the  proceedings  as  little  as  is 
consistent  with  the  demands  of  justice. 

Art.  V.      Subsidiary  Motions. 

See  12  for  a  list  and  the  general  characteristics  of 
these  motions. 

28.  To  Lay  on  the  Table.  This  motion 
takes  precedence  of  all  other  subsidiary  [12] 
motions   and   of    such   incidental    [13]    ques- 


§28]  TO  LAY   ON   THE  TABLE  IO5 

tions  as  are  pending  at  the  time  it  is  made. 
It  yields  to  privileged  [14]  motions  and  such 
motions  as  are  incidental  to  itself.  It  is  un- 
debatable  and  cannot  have  any  subsidiary  mo- 
tion applied  to  it.  It  may  be  applied  to  any 
main  [11]  motion;  to  any  question  of  privi- 
lege or  order  of  the  day,  after  it  is  before  the 
assembly  for  consideration ;  to  an  appeal  that 
does  not  adhere  to  the  main  question,  so  that 
the  action  on  the  latter  would  not  be  affected 
by  the  reversal  of  the  chair's  decision ;  or  to 
the  motion  to  reconsider  when  immediately 
pending,  in  which  case  the  question  to  be  re- 
considered goes  to  the  table  also.  No  motion 
that  has  another  motion  adhering  to  it  can  be 
laid  on  the  table  by  itself ;  if  laid  on  the  table 
it  carries  with  it  everything  that  adheres  to  it. 
When  a  motion  is  taken  from  the  table  [35] 
everything  is  in  the  same  condition,  as  far  as 
practicable,  as  when  the  motion  was  laid  on 
the  table,  except  that  if  not  taken  up  until  the 
next  session  the  effect  of  the  previous  ques- 
tion is  exhausted.  If  debate  has  been  closed 
by  ordering  the  previous  question,  or  other- 
wise, up  to  the  moment  of  taking  the  last  vote 
under  the  order,  the  questions  still  before  the 
assembly  may  be  laid  on  the  table.  Thus,  if, 
while  a  resolution  and  an  amendment  and 
a  motion  to  commit  are  pending,  the  previous 
question  is  ordered  on  the  series  of  questions, 
and  the  vote  has  been  taken  and  lost  on  the 
motion  to  commit,  it  is  in  order  to  lav  on  the 


I06  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§28 

table  the  resolution,  which  carries  with  it  the 
adhering  amendment. 

This  motion  cannot  be  applied  to  anything 
except  a  question  actually  pending,  therefore 
it  is  not  in  order  to  lay  on  the  table  a  class  of 
questions,  as  the  orders  of  the  day,  or  un- 
finished business,  or  reports  of  committees, 
because  they  are  not  pending  questions,  as  only 
one  main  motion  can  be  pending  at  a  time. 

To  accomplish  the  desired  object,  which  is  evidently 
to  reach  a  special  subject  or  class  of  business,  the 
proper  course  is  to  suspend  the  rules  by  a  two-thirds 
vote  and  take  up  the  desired  question  or  class  of  busi- 
ness. Sometimes  when  it  is  desired  to  pass  over  the 
next  order  or  class  of  business,  that  business  is 
"passed,"  as  it  is  called,  by  general  consent.  In  such 
case,  as  soon  as  the  business  for  which  it  was 
"passed"  is  disposed  of,  it  is  then  taken  up.  By  gen- 
eral consent,  the  business  to  come  before  the  assem- 
bly may  be  considered  in  any  order  the  assembly 
desires. 

If  a  motion  to  lay  on  the  table  has  been 
made  and  lost,  or  if  a  question  laid  on  the  table 
has  been  taken  from  the  table,  it  shows  that 
the  assembly  wishes  to  consider  the  question 
now,  and  therefore  a  motion  made  the  same 
day  to  lay  that  question  on  the  table  is  out  of 
order  until  there  has  been  material  progress 
in  business  or  debate,  or  unless  an  unforeseen 
urgent  matter  requires  immediate  attention. 
The  assembly  cannot  be  required  to  vote  again 
the  same  day  on  laying  the  question  on  the 
table  unless  there  is  such  a  change  in  the  state 
of  affairs  as  to  make  it  a  new  question.     Mo- 


§  28]  TO  LAY   ON   THE  TABLE  IO7 

tions  relating  to  adjournment  or  recess,  made 
and  lost,  are  not  business  justifying  the  re- 
newal of  the  motion  to  lay  on  the  table,  but 
the  renewal  of  the  motion  might  be  justified 
after  a  vote  on  an  important  amendment,  or 
on  the  motion  to  commit.  A  vote  on  laying 
on  the  table  cannot  be  reconsidered,  because, 
if  lost  the  motion  may  be  renewed  as  soon  as 
there  has  been  material  progress  in  debate  or 
business,  or  even  before  if  anything  unfore- 
seen occurs  of  such  an  urgent  nature  as  to 
require  immediate  attention  ;  and  if  adopted 
the  question  may  be  taken  from  the  table  as 
soon  as  the  interrupting  business  has  been  dis- 
posed of  and  while  no  question  is  pending,  and 
business  of  this  class,  or  new  or  unfinished 
business,  is  in  order. 

The  Form  of  this  motion  is,  "I  move  to  lay 
the  question  on  the  table,"  or,  "That  the  ques- 
tion be  laid  on  the  table."  or,  "That  the 
question  lie  on  the  table."  It  cannot  be  quali- 
fied in  any  way ;  if  it  is  qualified,  thus,  "To 
lay  the  question  on  the  table  until  2  p.  m.,"  the 
chair  should  state  it  properly  as  a  motion  to 
postpone  until  .2  p.  m.,  which  is  a  debatable 
question,  and  not  the  motion  to  lay  on  the 
table. 

The  Object"^  of  this  motion  is  to  enable  the 

*  The  common  parliamentary  law  in  regard  to  this  mo- 
tion is  thus  laid  down  in  Section  .38  of  Jefferson's  Manual, 
the  authority  in  both  Houses  of  Congress  :  "4.  When  the 
House  has  sbmf^thing  else  which  claims  its  present  atten- 
tion, but  would  be  willing  to  reserve  in  their  power  to 
take  up  a  proposition  whenever  it  shaJl  suit  them,  they 


I08  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§28 

assembly,  in  order  to  attend  to  more  urgent 
business,  to  lay  aside  the  pending  question  in 
such  a  way  that  its  consideration  may  be  re- 
sumed at  the  will  of  the  assembly  as  easily  as 
if  it  were  a  new  question,  and  in  preference  to 
new  questions  competing  with  it  for  considera- 
tion. It  is  to  the  interest  of  the  assembly  that 
this  object  should  be  attained  instantly  by  a 
majority  vote,  and  therefore  this  motion  must 
either  apply  to,  or  take  precedence  of,  ever}^ 
debatable  motion  whatever  its  rank.  It  is  un- 
debatable,  and  requires  only  a  majority  vote, 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that  if  not  taken  from 
the  table  the  question  is  suppressed.  These 
are  dangerous  privileges  which  are  given  to 
no  other  motion  whose  adoption  would  result 
in  final  action  on  a  main  motion.  There  is  a 
great  temptation  to  make  an  improper  use  of 
them,  and  lay  questions  on  the  table  for  the 

order  it  to  lie  on  their  table.  It  may  then  be  called  for 
at  any  time."  But,  on  account  of  the  enormous  number 
of  bills  introduced  each  session  and  the  possibility  of 
considering  only  a  small  fraction  of  them.  Congress  has 
been  obliged  to  find  some  way  by  which  the  majority  can 
quickly  kill  a  bill.  The  high  rank  and  undebatability  of 
this  motion  enabled  it  to  be  used  for  this  purpose  by 
simply  allowing  its  mover  the  right  of  recognition  in 
preference  to  the  member  reporting  the  bill,  and  then  not 
allowing  a  question  to  be  taken  from  the  table  except 
under  a  suspension  of  the  rules  (unless  it  is  a  privileged 
matter),  which  requires  a  two-thirds  vote.  This  com- 
plete revolution  in  the  use  of  the  motion  to  lay  on  the 
table  renders  all  the  practice  of  Congress  in  regard  to 
this  motion  useless  for  any  ordinary  deliberative  assem- 
bly. It  is  the  extreme  of  a  "gag  law,"  and  is  only  justi- 
fiable in  an  assembly  where  it  is  impossible  to  attend  to 
one-tenth  of  the  bills  and  resolutions  introduced.  In 
Congress,  to  lay  on  the  table  and  the  previous  question 
require  the  same  vote  (a  majority),  and  in  all  ordinary 
societies  where  to  lay  on  the  table  is  habitually  used  to 
kill  questions,  it  should  require  the  same  vote  as  the 
previous  question,  najnel3%  two-thirds. 


§  28]  TO  L.\Y   OX   THE  TABLE  IO9 

purpose  of  instantly  suppressing  them  by  a 
majority  vote,  instead  of  using  the  previous 
question,  the  legitimate  motion  to  bring  the 
assembly  to  an  immediate  vote.  The  funda- 
mental principles  of  parliamentary  law  require 
a  two-thirds  vote  for  every  motion  that  sup- 
presses a  main  question  for  the  session  with- 
out free  debate.  The  motion  to  lay  on  the 
table  being  undebatable,  and  requiring  only  a 
majority  vote,  and  having  the  highest  rank  of 
all  subsidiary  motions,  is  in  direct  conflict  with 
these  principles,  if  used  to  suppress  a  question. 
If  habitually  used  in  this  way,  it  should,  like 
the  other  motions  to  suppress  without  debate, 
require  a  two-thirds  vote. 

The  minority  has  no  remedy  for  the  unfair  use  of 
this  motion,  but  the  evil  can  be  slightly  diminished  as 
follows :  The  person  who  introduces  a  resolution  is 
sometimes  cut  ofif  from  speaking  by  the  motion  to  lay 
the  question  on  the  table  being  made  as  soon  as  the 
chair  states  the  question,  or  even  before.  In  such 
cases  the  introducer  of  the  resolution  should  always 
claim  the  floor,  to  which  he  is  entitled,  and  make  his 
speech.  Persons  are  commonly  in  such  a  hurry  to 
make  this  motion  that  they  neglect  to  address  the 
chair  and  thus  obtain  the  floor.  In  such  case  one  of 
the  minority  should  address  the  chair  quickly,  and  if 
not  given  the  floor,  make  the  point  of  order  that  he  is 
the  first  one  to  address  the  chair,  and  that  the  other 
member,  not  having  the  floor,  was  not  entitled  to 
make  a  motion  [3]. 

As  motions  laid  on  the  table  are  merely  temporarily 
laid  aside,  the  majority  should  remember  that  the 
minority  may  all  stay  to  the  moment  of  final  adjourn- 
ment and  then  be  in  the  majority,  and  take  up  and 
pass  the  resolutions  laid  on  the  table.  They  may  also 
take  the  question  from  the  table  at  the  next  meeting 
in  societies  having  regular  meetings  as  frequently  as 


no  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  ^8 

quarterly.  The  safer  and  fairer  method  is  to  object 
to  the  consideration  of  the  question  if  it  is  so  objec- 
tionable that  it  is  not  desired  to  allow  even  its  intro- 
ducer to  speak  on  it ;  or,  if  there  has  been  debate  so 
it  cannot  be  objected  to,  then  to  move  the  previous 
question,  which,  if  adopted,  immediately  brings  the 
assembly  to  a  vote.  These  are  legitimate  motions  for 
getting  at  the  sense  of  the  members  at  once  as  to 
whether  they  wish  the  subject  discussed,  and,  as  they 
require  a  two-thirds  vote,  no  one  has  a  right  to  object 
to  their  being  adopted. 

The  Effect  of  the  adoption  of  this  motion  is 
to  place  on  the  table,  that  is,  in  charge  of  the 
secretary,  the  pending  question  and  everything 
adhering  to  it;  so,  if  an  amendment  is  pending 
to  a  motion  to  refer  a  resolution  to  a  com- 
mittee, and  the  question  is  laid  on  the  table, 
all  these  questions  go  together  to  the  table,  and 
when  taken  from  the  table  they  all  come  up 
together.  An  amendment  proposed  to  any- 
thing already  adopted  is  a  main  motion,  and 
therefore  when  laid  on  the  table,  does  not 
carry  with  it  the  thing  proposed  to  be 
amended.  A  question  of  privilege  may  be  laid 
on  the  table  without  carrying  with  it  the  ques- 
tion it  interrupted.  In  legislative  bodies,  and 
all  others  that  do  not  have  regular  sessions  as 
often  as  quarterly,  questions  laid  on  the  table 
remain  there  for  that  entire  session,  unless 
taken  up  before  the  session  closes.  In  de- 
liberative bodies  with  regular  sessions  as  fre- 
quent as  quarterly,  the  sessions  usually  are 
very  short  and  questions  laid  on  the  table  re- 
main there  until  the  close  of  the  next  regular 


§29J  THE  PREVIOUS  QUESTION*  III 

session,  if  not  taken  up  earlier;  just  as  in  the 
same  assemblies  a  question  can  be  postponed 
to  the  next  session,  and  the  effect  of  the 
motion  to  reconsider,  if  not  called  up,  does 
not  terminate  until  the  close  of  the  next  ses- 
sion. The  reasons  for  any  one  of  these  rules 
apply  with  nearly  equal  force  to  the  others. 
While  a  question  is  on  the  table  no  motion 
on  the  same  subject  is  in  order  that  would  in 
any  way  affect  the  question  that  is  on  the 
table ;  it  is  necessary  first  to  take  the  question 
from  the  table  and  move  the  new  one  as  a 
substitute,  or  to  make  such  other  motion  as 
is  adapted  to  the  case. 

29.  The  Previous  Question*  takes  prece- 

*  The  previous  question  is  the  only  motion  used  in  the 
House  of  Representatives  for  dosing  debate.  It  may  V^e 
ordered  by  a  majority  vote.  If  there  has  been  no  pre- 
vious debate  on  the  subject,  forty  minutes  of  debate,  to 
be  equally  divided  between  those  oppose  to  and  those  in 
favor  of  the  proposition,  is  allowed  after  the  previous 
question  has  been  ordered.  The  motion  is  not  allowed  in 
the  Senate.     House  Rule  17  is  as  follows  : 

■'1.  There  shall  be  a  motion  for  th.'  previous  question, 
which,  being  ordered  by  a  majority  of  members  voting, 
if  a  quorum  be  present,  shall  have  the  effect  to  cut  off 
all  debate  and  bring  the  House  to  a  direct  vote  upon 
the  immediate  question  or  questions  on  which  it  has  been 
asked  and  ordered.  The  previous  question  may  be  a'^ked 
and  ordered  upon  a  single  motion,  a  series  of  motions 
allowable  under  the  rules,  or  an  amendment  or  amend- 
ments, or  may  be  made  to  embrace  all  authorized  motions 
or  amendments  and  include  the  bill  to  its  passage  or 
rejection.  It  shall  be  in  order,  pending  the  motion  for, 
or  after  the  previous  question  shall  have  been  ordered  on 
its  passage,  for  the  Speaker  to  entertain  and  submit  a 
motion  to  commit,  with  or  without  instructions,  to  a 
standing  or  select  committee. 

"2.  A  call  of  the  House  shall  not  be  in  order  after  the 
previous  question  is  ordered,  unless  it  shall  appear  upon 
an  actual  count  by  the  Speaker  that  a  quorum  is  not 
present. 

'•rj.  .Ml  incidental  questions  of  order  arising  after  .i 
motion  is  made  for  the  previous  question,  and  pending 
such  motion,  shall  be  decided,  whether  oh  appeal  or  other- 
wise, without  debate." 


112  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§29 

dence  of  all  subsidiary  [12]  motions  except 
to  lay  on  the  table,  an  1  yields  to  privileged 
[14]  and  incidental  [13]  motions,  and  to  the 
motion  to  lay  on  the  table.  It  is  undebatable, 
and  cannot  be  amended  or  have  any  other  sub- 
sidiary motion  applied  to  it.  The  effect  of  an 
amendment  may  be  obtained  by  calling  for,  or 
moving,  the  previous  question  on  a  different 
set  of  the  pending  questions  (which  must  be 
consecutive  and  include  the  immediately  pend- 
ing question),  in  which  case  the  vote  is  taken 
first  on  the  motion  which  orders  the  previous 
question  on  the  largest  number  of  questions. 
It  may  be  applied  to  any  debatable  or  amend- 
able motion  or  motions,  and  if  unqualified  it 
applies  only  to  the  immediately  pending  mo- 
tion. It  may  be  qualified  so  as  to  apply  to  a 
series  of  pending  questions,  or  to  a  consecutive 
part  of  a  series  beginning  with  the  immediately 
pending  question.  It  requires  a  two-thirds 
vote  for  its  adoption.  After  the  previous 
question  has  been  ordered,  up  to  the  time  of 
taking  the  last  vote  under  it,  the  questions  that 
have  not  been  voted  on  may  be  laid  on  the 
table,  but  can  have  no  other  subsidiary  mo- 
tions applied  to  them.  An  appeal  made  after 
the  previous  question  has  been  demanded  or 
ordered  and  before  its  exhaustion,  is  unde- 
batable. The  previous  question,  before  any 
vote  has  been  taken  under  it,  may  be  recon- 
sidered, but  not  after  its  partial  execution. 
As  no  one  would  vote  to  reconsider  the  vote 


§29]  THE  PREVIOUS  QUESTION  II3 

ordering  the  previous  question  who  was  not 
opposed  to  the  previous  question,  it  follows 
that  if  the  motion  to  reconsider  prevails,  it 
will  be  impossible  to  secure  a  two-thirds  vote 
for  the  previous  question,  and,  therefore,  if 
it  is  voted  to  reconsider  the  previous  question 
it  is  considered  as  rejecting  that  question  and 
placing  the  business  as  it  was  before  the  previ- 
ous question  was  moved.  If  a  vote  taken 
under  the  previous  question  is  reconsidered 
before  the  previous  question  is  exhausted, 
there  can  be  no  debate  or  amendment  of  the 
proposition ;  but  if  the  reconsideration  is  after 
the  previous  question  is  exhausted,  then  the 
motion  to  reconsider,  as  well  as  the  question 
to  be  reconsidered,  is  divested  of  the  previous 
question  and  is  debatable.  If  lost,  the  previous 
question  may  be  renewed  after  sufiBcient  pro- 
gress in  debate  to  make  it  a  new  question. 

The  Form  of  this  motion  is,  'T  move  [or 
demand,  or  call  for]  the  previous  question  on 
[here  specify  the  motions  on  which  it  is  de- 
sired to  be  ordered]."  As  it  cannot  be  de- 
bated or  amended,  it  must  be  voted  on  imme- 
diately. The  form  of  putting  the  question* 
is,  **The  previous  question  is  moved  [or  de- 
manded, or  called  for]  on  [specify  the  motions 
on  which  the  previous  question  is  demanded]. 


*  The  Congressional  form  of  putting  tliis  question   is, 

"The  gentleman    from demands   the   previous 

question.  .\s  many  as  are  in  favor  of  ordering  the  pre- 
vious question  will' say  Aye;  as  many  as  are  opposed  will 
say  :No." 


114  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  ^9 

As  many  as  are  in  favor  of  ordering  the 
previous  question  on  [repeat  the  motions]  will 
rise."  When  they  are  seated  he  continues, 
"Those  opposed  will  rise.  There  being  two- 
thirds  in  favor  of  the  motion,  the  affirmative 
has  it  and  the  previous  question  is  ordered  on 
[repeat  the  motions  upon  which  it  is  ordered]. 
The  question  is  [or  recurs]  on  [state  the  im- 
mediately pending  question].  As  many  as  are 
in  favor,"  etc.  If  the  previous  question  is 
ordered  the  chair  immediately  proceeds  to  put 
to  vote  the  questions  on  which  it  was  ordered 
until  all  the  votes  are  taken,  or  there  is  an 
affirmative  vote  on  postponing  definitely  or  in- 
definitely, or  committing,  either  of  which  ex- 
hausts the  previous  question.  If  there  can  be 
the  slightest  doubt  as  to  the  vote  the  chair 
should  take  it  again  immediately,  counting 
each  side.  If  less  than  two-thirds  vote  in  the 
affirmative,  the  chair  announces  the  vote  thus : 
"There  not  being  two-thirds  in  favor  of  the 
motion,  the  negative  has  it  and  the  motion  is 
lost.  The  question  is  on,"  etc.,  the  chair  stating 
the  question  on  the  immediately  pending  ques- 
tion, which  is  again  open  to  debate  and  amend- 
ment, the  same  as  if  the  previous  question  had 
not  been  demanded. 

The  question  may  be  put  in  a  form  similar 
to  this:  "The  previous  question  has  been 
moved  on  the  motion  to  commit  and  its  amend- 
ment. As  many  as  are  in  favor  of  now 
putting  the  question  on  the  motion  to  commit 


§29]  THE   PREVIOUS  QUESTION  II5 

and  its  amendment  will  rise;  those  opposed 
will  rise.  There  being  two-thirds  in  favor  of 
the  motion,  the  debate  is  closed  on  the  motion 
to  commit  and  its  amendment,  and  the  ques- 
tion is  on  the  amendment,"  etc.  While  this 
form  is  allowable,  yet  it  is  better  to  conform 
to  the  regular  parliamentary  form  as  given 
above. 

The  Object  of  the  previous  question  is  to 
bring  the  assembly  at  once  to  a  vote  on  the 
immediately  pending  question  and  on  such 
other  pending  questions  as  may  be  specified 
in  the  demand.  It  is  the  proper  motion  to  use 
for  this  purpose,  whether  the  object  is  to  adopt 
or  to  kill  the  proposition  on  w^hich  it  is  or- 
dered, without  further  debate  or  motions  to 
amend. 

The  Effect"^  of  ordering  the  previous  ques- 
tion is  to  close  debate  immediately,  to  prevent 
the  moving  of  amendments  or  any  other  sub- 
sidiary motions  except  to  lay  on  the  table,  and 
to  bring  the  assembly  at  once  to  a  vote  on  the 
immediately  pending  question,  and  such  other 
pending  questions  as  were  specified  in  the  de- 
mand, or  motion.  If  the  previous  question  is 
ordered  on  more  than  one  question,  then  its 
effect  extends  to  those  questions  and  is  not 
exhausted  until  they  are  voted  on,  or  they  are 
disposed  of  as  shown  below  under  exhaustion 

*  The  former  practice  of  allowing  the  member  report- 
ing a  bill  from  a  committee  to  close  the  debate  with  a 
speech  after  the  previous  question  has  been  ordered,  has 
been  abandoned  by  Congress. 


Il6  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§29 

of  the  previous  question.  If  the  previous 
question  is  voted  down^  the  discussion  con- 
tinues as  if  this  motion  had  not  been  made. 
The  efifect  of  the  previous  question  does  not 
extend  beyond  the  session  in  which  it  was 
adopted.  Should  any  of  the  questions  upon 
which  it  was  ordered  come  before  the  assem- 
bly at  a  future  session  they  are  divested  of  the 
previous  question  and  are  open  to  debate  and 
amendment. 

The  previous  question  is  Exhausted  during 
the  session  as  follows : 

(1)  When  the  previous  question  is  un- 
qualified, its  effect  terminates  as  soon  as  the 
vote  is  taken  on  the  immediately  pending 
question. 

(2)  If  the  previous  question  is  ordered  on 
more  than  one  of  the  pending  questions  its 
effect  is  not  exhausted  until  all  of  the  ques- 
tions upon  which  it  has  been  ordered  have 
been  voted  on,  or  else  the  effect  of  those  that 
have  been  voted  on  has  been  to  commit  the 
main  question,  or  to  postpone  it  defi.nitely  or 
indefinitely. 

If,  before  the  exhaustion  of  the  previous 
question,  the  questions  on  which  it  has  been 
ordered  that  have  not  been  voted  on  are  laid 
on  the  table,  the  previous  question  is  not  ex- 
hausted thereby,  so  that  when  they  are  taken 
from  the  table  during  the  same  session,  they 
are  still  under  the  previous  question  and  can- 


§29]  THE  PREVIOUS  QUESTION  II7 

not  be  debated  or  amended  or  have  any  other 
subsidiary  motion  applied  to  them. 

Note  on  the  Previous  Question.— Much  of  the 
confusion  heretofore  existing  in  regard  to  the  Pre- 
vious Question  has  arisen  from  the  great  changes 
which  this  motion  has  undergone.  As  originally  de- 
signed, and  at  present  used  in  the  English  Parliament, 
the  previous  question  was  not  intended  to  suppress 
debate,  but  to  suppress  the  main  question,  and  there- 
fore, in  England,  it  is  always  moved  by  the  enemies 
of  the  measure,  who  then  vote  in  the  negative.  It  was 
first  used  in  1604,  and  was  intended  to  be  applied  only 
to  delicate  questions;  it  was  put  in  this  form,  "Shall 
the  main  question  be  put?"  and  being  negatived,  the 
main  question  was  dismissed  for  that  session.  Its 
form  was  afterwards  changed  to  this,  which  is  used  at 
present,  "Shall  the  main  question  be  now  put?"  and  if 
negatived  the  question  was  dismissed,  at  first  only 
until  after  the  ensuing  debate  was  over,  but  now,  for 
that  day.  The  motion  for  the  previous  question  could 
be  debated ;  when  once  put  to  vote,  whether  decided 
afiirmatively  or  negatively,  it  prevented  any  discussion 
of  the  main  question,  for,  if  decided  affirmatively,  the 
main  question  was  immediately  put.  and  if  decided 
negatively  (that  is,  that  the  main  question  be  not  now 
put),  it  was  dismissed  for  the  day. 

Our  Congress  has  gradually  changed  the  English 
Previous  Question  into  an  entirely  different  motion, 
so  that,  while  in  England,  the  mover  of  the  previous 
question  votes  against  it,  in  this  country  he  votes  for  it. 
At  first  the  previous  question  was  debatable;  if 
adopted  it  cut  off  all  motions  e.xcepi  the  main  ques- 
tion, which  was  immediately  put  to  vote;  and  if  re- 
jected the  main  question  was  dismissed  for  that  day 
as  in  England.  Congress,  in  1805.  made  it  unde- 
batable.  In  1840  the  rule  was  changed  so  as  not  to 
cut  off  amendments  but  to  bring  the  House  to  a  vote 
first  upon  pending  amendments,  and  then  upon  the 
main  question.  In  1848  its  effect  was  changed  again 
so  as  to  bring  the  House  to  a  vote  upon  the  motion 
to  commit  if  it  had  been  made,  then  upon  amend- 
ments  reported   by   a  committee,   if   any,  then  upon 


Il8  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  30 

pending  amendments,  and  finally  upon  the  main  ques- 
tion. In  1860  Congress  decided  that  the  only  effect 
of  the  previous  question,  if  the  motion  to  postpone 
were  pending,  should  be  to  bring  the  House  to  a 
direct  vote  on  the  postponement — thus  preventing  the 
previous  question  from  cutting  off  any  pending  mo- 
tion. In  1860  the  rule  was  modified  also  so  as  to 
allow  it  to  be  applied  if  so  specified  to  an  amendment 
or  to  an  amendment  of  an  amendment,  without  af- 
fecting anything  else,  and  so  that  if  the  previous 
question  were  lost  the  debate  would  be  resumed.  In 
1880  the  rule  was  further  changed  so  as  to  allow  it 
to  be  applied  to  single  motions,  or  to  a  series  of 
motions,  the  motions  to  which  it  is  to  apply  being 
specified  in  the  demand ;  and  30  minutes'  debate, 
equally  divided  between  the  friends  and  the  enemies 
of  the  proposition,  was  allowed  after  the  previous 
question  had  been  ordered,  if  there  had  been  no  de- 
bate previously.  In  1890  the  30  minutes'  debate  was 
changed  to  40  minutes.  The  previous  question  now 
is  simply  a  motion  to  close  debate  and  proceed  to 
voting  on  the  immediately  pending  question  and  such 
other  pending  questions  as  it  has  been  ordered  upon. 


30.  Limit  or  Extend  Limits  of  Debate. 
Motions,  or  orders,  to  limit  or  extend  the 
limits  of  debate,  like  the  previous  question, 
take  precedence  of  all  debatable  motions,  m.ay 
be  applied  to  any  debatable  motion  or  series 
of  motions,  and,  if  not  specified  to  the  con- 
trary, apply  only  to  the  immediately  pending 
question.  If  it  is  voted  to  limit  the  debate,  the 
order  applies  to  all  incidental  and  subsidiary 
motions  and  the  motion  to  reconsider,  subse- 
quently made,  as  long  as  the  order  is  in  force. 
But  an  order  extending  the  limits  of  debate 
does  not  apply  to  any  motions  except  the  im- 
mediately pending  one  and  such  others  as  are 


§  30]  TO  LIMIT  DEBATE  1 19 

Specified.  They  are  undebatable,  and  require 
a  two-thirds  vote  for  their  adoption.  These 
motions  may  be  amended,  but  can  have  no 
other  subsidiary  motion  applied  to  them.  They 
yield  to  privileged  [14]  and  incidental  [13] 
motions,  and  to  the  motions  to  lay  on  the  table 
and  for  the  previous  question.  They  may  be 
made  only  when  the  immediately  pending  ques- 
tion is  debatable.  When  one  of  them  is 
pending,  another  one  that  does  not  conflict 
with  it  may  be  moved  as  an  amendment.  After 
one  of  these  motions  has  been  adopted  it  is 
in  order  to  move  another  one  of  them,  pro- 
vided it  does  not  conflict  with  the  one  in  force. 
This  motion  to  limit  or  extend  the  limits  of 
debate  may  be  reconsidered  even  though  the 
order  has  been  partially  executed,  and  if  lost 
it  may  be  renewed  after  there  has  been  suffi- 
cient progress  in  debate  to  make  it  a  new 
question. 

After  an  order  is  adopted  closing  debate  at 
a  certain  hour,  or  limiting  it  to  a  certain  time, 
the  motions  to  postpone  and  to  commit  can- 
not be  moved  until  the  vote  adopting  the  order 
has  been  reconsidered ;  but  the  pending  ques- 
tion may  be  laid  on  the  table,  and  if  it  is  not 
taken  from  the  table  until  after  the  hour  ap- 
pointed for  closing  the  debate  and  taking  the 
vote,  no  debate  or  motion  to  amend  is  allowed, 
as  the  chair  should  immediately  put  the  ques- 
tion. After  the  adoption  of  an  order  limiting 
the  number  or  length  of  the  speeches,  or  ex- 


120  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  3^ 

tending  these  limits,  it  is  in  order  to  move  any 
of  the  other  subsidiary  [12]  motions  on  the 
pending  question. 

An  order  modifying  the  Hmits  of  debate  on 
a  question  is  in  force  only  during  the  session 
in  which  it  was  adopted.  If  the  question  in 
any  way  goes  over  to  the  next  session  it  is 
divested  of  this  order  and  is  open  to  debate 
according  to  the  regular  rules. 

The  various  Forms  of  this  motion  are  as 
follows : 

( 1 )  To  fix  the  hour  for  closing  debate  and 
putting  the  question,  the  form  is  similar  to 
this:  'T  move  that  debate  close  and  the  ques- 
tion be  put  on  the  resolution  at  9  p.  m." 

(2)  To  limit  the  length  of  the  debate,  the 
motion  may  be  made  thus :  'T  move  that  de- 
bate on  the  pending  amendment  be  limited  to 
twenty  minutes." 

(3)  To  reduce  or  increase  the  number  and 
length  of  speeches,  the  motion  should  be  made 
in  a  form  similar  to  one  of  these :  *T  move 
that  debate  on  the  pending  resolution  and  its 
amendments  be  limited  to  one  speech  of  five 
minutes  from  each  member;"  "I  move  that 
Mr.  A's  time  be  extended  ten  minutes ;"  "I 
move  that  Messrs.  A  and  B  (the  leaders  on 
the  two  sides)  be  allowed  twenty  minutes  each, 
to  be  divided  between  their  two  speeches  at 
their  pleasure,  and  that  other  members  be 
limited  to  one  speech  of  two  minutes  each, 
and  that  the  question  be  put  at  9  p.  m." 


§3l]  TO   POSTPONE  DEFINITELY  121 

31.  To  Postpone  to  a  Certain  Time  or 
Definitely*  takes  precedence  of  the  motions 
to  commit,  to  amend,  and  to  postpone  indefi- 
nitely, and  yields  to  all  privileged  [14]  and 
incidental  [13]  motions,  and  to  the  motions  to 
lay  on  the  table,  for  the  previous  question, 
and  to  limit  or  to  extend  the  limits  of  debate. 
It  allows  of  a  limited  debate  which  must  not 
go  into  the  merits  of  the  main  question  any 
more  than  is  necessary  to  enable  the  assembly 
to  determine  the  propriety  of  the  postpone- 
ment. It  may  be  amended  as  to  the  time,  and 
also  by  making  the  postponed  question  a  spe- 
cial order.  The  previous  question  and  the  mo- 
tions limiting  or  extending  the  limits  of  de- 
bate may  be  applied  to  it.  It  canjiot  be  laid 
on  the  table  alone,  but  when  it  is  pending  the 
main  question  may  be  laid  on  the  table  which 
carries  with  it  the  motion  to  postpone.  It  can- 
not be  committed  or  postponed  indefinitely.  It 
may  be  reconsidered.  When  it  makes  a  ques- 
tion a  special  order  it  requires  a  two-thirds 
vote. 

The  time  to  which  a  question  is  postponed 
must  fall  within  the  session  or  the  next  ses- 
sion, [  and,  if  it  is  desired  to  postpone  it  to 
a  different  time,  which  must  not  be  beyond  the 
next   regular  session,  it   is  necessary  first  to 

•  In  Congress  the  form  of  this  motion  is  to  postpone 
to  a  day  certain,  unless  it  is  proposed  to  make  tlie  ques- 
tion a  special  order  for  a  certain  hour,  when  the  hour  is 
specified. 

t  In  Congress  a  motion  cannot  be  postponed  to  the 
next  session,  but  it  is  customary  in  ordinary  societies. 


122  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§31 

fix  the  time  for  an  adjourned  meeting,  and 
then  the  question  may  be  postponed  to  that 
meeting.  Some  societies  have  frequent  meet- 
ings for  literary  or  other  purposes  at  which 
business  may  be  transacted,  while  they  hold 
every  month  or  quarter  a  meeting  especially 
for  business.  In  such  societies  these  rules  ap- 
ply particularly  to  the  regular  business  meet- 
ings, to  which  questions  may  be  postponed 
from  the  previous  regular  business  meeting  or 
from  any  of  the  intervening  meetings.  Neither 
the  motion  to  postpone  definitely  nor  an 
amendment  to  it.  is  in  order  when  it  has  the 
effect  of  an  indefinite  postponement;  that  is, 
to  defeat  the  measure,  as,  for  instance,  to  post- 
pone until  tomorrow  a  motion  to  accept  an 
invitation  to  a  banquet  tonight.  If  the  motion 
to  postpone  indefinitely  is  in  order  at  the  time, 
the  chair  may  treat  it  as  such  at  his  discre- 
tion, but  it  cannot  be  recognized  as  a  motion 
to  postpone  definitely.  It  is  not  in  order  to 
postpone  a  class  of  business,  as  reports  of 
committees ;  as  each  report  is  announced  or 
called  for,  it  may  be  postponed,  or  the  rules 
may  be  suspended  by  a  two-thirds  vote  and 
the  desired  question  be  taken  up.  A  matter 
that  is  required  by  the  by-laws  to  be  attended 
to  at  a  specified  time  or  meeting  as  the  elec- 
tion of  officers  cannot,  in  advance,  be  post- 
poned to  another  time  or  meeting,  but  when 
that  specified  time  or  meeting  arrives  the 
assembly   may   postpone   it  to   an   adjourned 


§3l]  TO   POSTPONE   DEFINITELY  I23 

meeting.  This  is  sometimes  advisable  as  in 
case  of  an  annual  meeting  for  the  election  of 
officers  occurring  on  a  very  stormy  night  so 
that  a  bare  quorum  is  present.  After  an  order 
of  the  day  or  a  question  of  privilege  is  before 
the  assembly  for  action,  its  further  considera- 
tion may  be  postponed,  or  any  other  subsidiary 
motion  may  be  applied  to  it.  When  a  question 
has  been  postponed  to  a  certain  time,  it  be- 
comes an  order  of  the  day  for  that  time  and 
cannot  be  taken  up  before  that  time  except  by 
a  reconsideration,  or  by  suspending  the  rules 
for  that  purpose,  which  requires  a  two-thirds 
vote.  [See  Orders  of  the  Day,  20,  for  the 
treatment  of  questions  that  have  been  post- 
poned definitely.] 

The  Form  of  this  motion  depends  upon  the 
object  sought. 

(1)  If  the  object  is  simply  to  postpone  the 
question  to  the  next  meeting,  when  it  will  have 
precedence  of  new  business,  the  form  of  the 
motion  is  *'to  postpone  the  question  [or,  that 
the  question  be  postponed]  to  the  next  meet- 
ing." It  then  becorties  a  general  order  for 
that  meeting. 

(2)  If  the  object  is  to  specify  an  hour 
when  the  question  will  be  taken  up  as  soon  as 
the  question  then  pending,  if  there  is  any,  is 
disposed  of,  the  form  is  similar  to  this  :  "T  move 
that  the  question  be  postponed  to  .3  p.  m." 

(3)  If  it  is  desired  to  postpone  the  ques- 
tion until  after  a  certain  event,  when  it  shall 


124  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§31 

immediately  come  up,  the  form  is,  **To  post- 
pone the  question  until  after  the  address  on 
Economics." 

(4)  If  the  object  is  to  insure  its  not  being 
crowded  out  by  other  matters. there  should  be 
added  to  the  motion  to  postpone  as  given  in 
the  first  two  cases  above,  the  words,  "and  be 
made  a  special  order."  Or  the  motion  may  be 
made  thus  :  "I  move  that  the  question  be  post- 
poned and  made  a  special  order  for  the  next 
meeting  [or,  for  3  p.  m.  tomorrow]."  The 
motion  in  this  form  requires  a  two-thirds  vote, 
as  it  suspends  the  rules  that  may  interfere  with 
its  consideration  at  the  time  specified  as  ex- 
plained under  Orders  of  the  Day  [20]. 

(5)  If  it  is  desired  to  postpone  a  question 
to  an  adjourned  meeting  and  devote  the  entire 
time,  if  necessary,  to  its  consideration,  as  in 
case  of  revising  by-laws,  after  providing  for 
the  adjourned  meeting  the  motion  should  be 
made  in  this  form :  "I  move  that  the  question 
be  postponed  and  made  the  special  order  for 
next  Tuesday  evening."  Or,  a  question  may 
be  postponed  and  made  the  special  order  for 
the  next  regular  meeting. 

The  Effect  of  postponing  a  question  is  to 
make  it  an  order  of  the  day  for  the  time  to 
which  it  was  postponed,  and  if  it  is  not  then 
disposed  of,  it  becomes  unfinished  business. 
Postponing  a  question  to  a  certain  hour  does 
not  make  it  a  special  order  unless  so  specified 
in  the  motion.     The  motion  to  postpone  defi- 


i 


§32]  TO  COMMIT  OR   REFER  12$ 

nitely  may  be  amended  by  a  majority  vote  so 
as  to  make  the  amended  motion  one  to  make 
the  question  a  special  order.  If  this  is  done 
the  amended  motion  will  require  a  two-thirds 
vote.  [Orders  of  the  Day,  20,  should  be  read 
in  connection  with  this  section.] 

32.  To  Commit  or  Refer.  (All  the  rules 
in  regard  to  this  motion,  except  where  stated 
to  the  contrary,  apply  equally  to  the  motions 
to  Go  into  Committee  of  the  Whole,  to  Con- 
sider Informally,  and  to  Recommit  as  it  is 
called  when  a  question  is  committed  a  second 
time.)  This  motion  takes  precedence  of  the 
motions  to  amend  and  to  postpone  indefinitely, 
and  yields  to  all  the  other  subsidiary  [12] 
motions  and  to  all  privileged  [14]  and  inci- 
dental [13]  motions.  It  cannot  be  applied  to 
any  subsidiary  motion,  nor  can  it  be  laid  on 
the  table  or  postponed  except  in  connection 
with  the  main  question.  The  previous  ques- 
tion, and  motions  to  limit  or  extend  the  limits 
of  debate,  and  to  amend,  may  be  applied  to  it 
without  affecting  the  main  question.  It  is 
debatable  but  only  as  to  the  propriety  of  com- 
mitting the  main  question.*     If  the  motion  to 

*  Congress  has  changed  its  rule  in  regard  to  the  mo- 
tion to  commit,  so  tliat  now  it  is  undebatable,  instead  of 
l)eing  debatable  and  opening  to  debate  the  merits  of  the 
main  question.  In  a  body  like  Congress,  where  nearly 
all  the  business  must  be  attended  to  in  committees,  de- 
bate on  referring  a  proposition  to  a  committee  should  not 
be  allowed.  Members  can  appear  before  the  committee 
and  present  their  views.  But  in  an  ordinary  deliberative 
assembly  it  is  better  to  ol)serve  the  general  principles 
governing  the  debatability  of  motion  as  laid  down  on 
|)age  184,  and  allow  of  debate  as  to  the  propriety  of  re- 
ferring the  question   to  a   committee. 


126  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  3^ 

postpone  indefinitely  is  pending  when  a  ques- 
tion is  referred  to  a  committee,  it  is  lost,  and 
is  not  referred  to  the  committee.  Pending 
amendments  go  with  the  main  motion  to  the 
committee.  The  motion  to  commit  may  be  re- 
considered, but  after  the  committee  has  begun 
the  consideration  of  the  question  referred  to 
it,  it  is  too  late  to  move  to  reconsider  the  vote 
to  commit.  The  committee  may,  however, 
then  be  discharged  as  shown  below. 

The  motion  to  commit  (that  is,  to  refer  to  a 
committee)  may  vary  in  form  all  the  way 
from  the  simple  form  of,  "That  the  question 
be  referred  to  a  committee,"  to  the  complete 
form  of  referring  to  question  "to  a  committee 
of  five  to  be  appointed  by  the  chair,  with  in- 
structions to  report  resolutions  properly  cov- 
ering the  case,  at  the  next  regular  business 
meeting."  If  the  motion  is  made  in  the  com- 
plete form  the  details  may  be  changed  by 
amendments,  though  they  are  usually  treated 
not  as  ordinary  amendments,  but  as  in  filling 
blanks  [page  148]. 

If  the  motion  is  made  in  the  simple  form  of 
merely  referring  the  pending  question  to  a 
committee  there  are  three  courses  that  may 
be  pursued  in  completing  the  details,  the  one 
to  be  chosen  depending  upon  the  circumstances 
of  the  case.  (1)  The  simple,  or  skeleton,  mo- 
tion may  be  completed  by  moving  amend- 
ments, or  making  suggestions,  for  adding  the 
required   details   as   stated   below.      (2)   The 


§32]  TO  COMMIT  OR   REFER  I27 

chair  on  his  own  initiative  may  call  for  sug- 
gestions to  complete  the  motion,  first  inquiring 
as  to  what  committee  the  question  shall  be  re- 
ferred, and  continuing  in  the  order  shown 
hereafter.  (3)  The  motion  in  its  simplest 
form  may  be  put  to  vote  at  once  by  its  enemies' 
ordering  the  previous  question,  and  where  the 
motion  to  commit  is  almost  certain  to  be  lost 
this  is  sometimes  done  to  save  the  time  that 
would  be  uselessly  spent  in  completing  the 
details.  If  it  should  happen  that  the  motion 
to  commit  is  adopted,  which  is  improbable, 
then  the  details  are  completed  before  any  new 
business,  except  privileged  matters,  can  be 
taken  up.  These  details  are  taken  up  in  the 
order  given  below,  the  chair  calling  for  the 
several  items  much  as  if  he  were  completing 
the  motion  before  it  was  voted  on. 

In  completing  a  motion  simply  to  refer  to  a 
com.mittee,  the  first  question  the  chair  asks  is, 
"To  what  committee  shall  the  question  be  re- 
ferred?" If  different  ones  are  suggested,  the 
suggestions  are  not  treated  as  amendments  of 
those  previously  offered,  but  are  voted  on  in 
the  following  order  until  one  receives  a  ma- 
jority vote:  Committee  of  the  whole;  as  if 
in  committee  of  the  whole;  consider  inform- 
ally ;  standing  committee,  in  the  order  in  which 
they  are  proposed;  special  (select)  committee 
(largest  number  voted  on  first).  If  the  que*:;- 
tion  has  already  been  before  a  standing  or 
special  committee  the  motion  becomes  the  mo- 


128  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  32 

tion  to  recommit,  and  the  committees  would 
be  voted  on  in  the  above  order  except  the  old 
committee  would  precede  other  standing  and 
select  committees.  In  suggesting  or  moving 
that  the  committee  be  a  special  one,  the  word 
''special"  is  not  generally  used,  the  motion  be- 
ing made  to  refer  the  question  to  a  committee 
of  five,  or  any  other  number,  which  makes  it 
a  special  committee ;  that  is,  not  a  standing 
committee.  If  any  committee  except  a  special 
one  is  decided  upon,  the  chair  should  then  put 
the  question  on  referring  the  question  to  that 
committee.  But  any  one  may  interrupt  him 
and  move  to  add  instructions,  or  he,  himself, 
may  suggest  them,  or  instructions  may  be 
given  after  the  vote  has  been  taken  on  com- 
mitting the  question.  Instructions  may  be 
given  to  the  committee  by  a  majority  vote  at 
any  time  before  it  submits  its  report,  even  at 
another  session. 

If  the  committee  is  to  be  a  special  one,  it 
is  necessary  in  addition  to  its  number  to  decide 
how  it  is  to  be  appointed.  If  dififerent 
methods  are  suggested,  or  moved,  they  are 
voted  on  in  the  following  order :  Ballot ;  nomi- 
nations from  the  floor  (or  open  nominations)  ; 
nominations  by  the  chair;  and  lastly,  appoint- 
ment by  the  chair,  the  method  that  should  usu- 
ally be  adopted  in  very  large  assemblies.  When 
this  is  decided  the  completed  motion  to  com- 
mit is  put  to  vote.  Instructions  as  heretofore 
stated  may  be  added  before  the  vote  is  taken 


§32]  TO  COMMIT  OR   REFER  I2g 

on  the  motion  to  commit,  or  they  may  be  given 
afterwards.  If  the  motion  to  commit  is 
adopted,  no  new  business,  except  privileged 
matters,  can  intervene  until  the  appointment  of 
the  committee  by  the  method  prescribed,  ex- 
cept that  when  the  chair  appoints  the  com- 
mittee he  may  wish  time  to  make  his  selec- 
tions, which,  however,  must  be  announced  to 
the  assembly. 

If  nominations  are  made  from  the  floor  no 
one  can  nominate  more  than  one,  if  objection 
is  made.  The  member  making  a  nomination 
in  a  large  assembly  rises,  and,  addressing  the 
chair  without  waiting  to  be  recognized,  says, 
''I  nominate  ]\Ir.  A."  In  small  assemblies  the 
nominations  for  committees  are  frequently 
made  by  members  from  their  seats  suggesting 
names.  The  chair  repeats  each  name  as  he 
hears  it,  and  if  no  more  than  the  prescribed 
number  is  suggested,  he  puts  the  question  on 
the  members  named  constituting  the  com- 
mittee. If  more  names  than  the  prescribed 
number  are  suggested,  the  chair  puts  the  ques- 
tion on  each  name  in  succession,  beginning 
with  the  first  named,  until  enough  are  chosen 
to  fill  the  committee.  The  negative  must  be 
put  as  •well  as  the  affirmative,  a  majority  vote 
being  required  for  each  member  of  the  com- 
mittee. If  the  committee  is  nominated  by  the 
chair  he  states  the  question  thus :  "The  ques- 
tion is,  'Shall  these  members  constitute  the 
committee?'"     It  is  now  in  order  to  move  to 


130  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  32 

strike  out  any  of  the  names,  and  if  such  a  mo- 
tion is  adopted  the  chair  replaces  them  with 
other  names.  When  he  appoints  the  com- 
mittee no  vote  is  taken,  but  he  must  announce 
the  names  of  the  committee  to  the  assembly, 
and  until  such  announcement  is  made  the  com- 
mittee cannot  act.  If  it  is  desired  to  permit 
the  chair  to  appoint  a  committee  after  adjourn- 
ment, it  must  be  authorized  by  a  vote.  The 
power  to  appoint  a  committee  carries  with 
it  the  power  to  appoint  its  chairman  and  to 
fill  any  vacancy  that  may  arise  in  the  com- 
mittee. The  resignation  of  a  member  of  a 
committee  should  be  addressed  to  the  appoint- 
ing power. 

The  Forms  of  this  motion  are  as  follows : 
**To  refer  the  question  to  a  committee ;"  "To 
recommit  the  resolution;"  "That  the  subject 
be  referred  to  a  committee  of  three  to  be  ap- 
pointed by  the  chair,  and  that  it  report  by  reso- 
lution at  the  next  meeting;"  "That  it  be  re- 
ferred to  a  committee  with  power ;"  "That  the 
assembly  do  now  resolve  itself  into  [or,  go 
into]  committee  of  the  whole,  to  take  under 
consideration,"  etc.,  specifying  the  subject 
[55]  :  "That  the  resolution  be  considered 
as  if  in  committee  of  the  whole"  [56]  ;«"That 
the  resolution  be  considered  informally" 
[57]. 

The  Object  of  the  motion  to  refer  to  a 
standing  or  special  committee  is  usually  to 
enable  a  question  to  be  more  carefully  inves- 


§32]  TO  COMMIT  OR   REFER  I3I 

tigated  and  put  into  better  shape  for  the  as- 
sembly to  consider,  than  can  be  done  in  the 
assembly  itself.  Where  an  assembly  is  large 
and  has  a  ver\'  large  amount  of  business  it  is 
safer  to  have  every  main  question  go  to  a 
committee  before  final  action  on  it  is  taken. 
A  special  committee  to  investigate  and  report 
upon  a  subject  should  consist  of  representative 
members  on  both  sides  of  the  question,  so  that 
both  parties  in  the  assembly  may  have  confi- 
dence in  the  report,  or  reports  in  case  there 
is  disagreement  and  a  minority  report  is  sub- 
mitted. By  care  in  selecting  committees  in 
ordinary  assemblies,  debates  upon  delicate  and 
troublesome  questions  can  be  mostly  confined 
to  the  committees.  It  is  not  at  all  necessary 
to  appoint  on  the  committee  the  member  who 
makes  the  motion  to  refer,  but  it  is  usual,  and 
the  courteous  thing  to  do,  when  he  is  spe- 
cially interested  or  informed  on  the  subject. 
If  the  appointing  power  does  not  designate  a 
chairman  of  the  committee,  the  member  first 
named  acts  as  such  unless  the  committee  elects 
its  own  chairman.  Consequently  it  is  very 
important  that  the  first  named  should  be  an 
efficient  person,  especially  in  a  committee  for 
action. 

Sometimes  a  question  is  referred  to  a  com- 
mittee with  full  power  to  act  in  the  case. 
When  the  duty  assigned  it  has  been  performed, 
it  should  report  what  it  has  done,  and  when 
this  report  has  been  made  the  committee  ceases 


132  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  32 

to  exist.  When  the  assembly  has  decided  a 
question  and  appoints  a  committee  to  take 
certain  action  (such  as  a  committee  of  ar- 
rangements for  holding  a  public  meeting), 
then  the  committee  should  be  small,  and  all 
should  be  favorable  to  the  action  to  be  taken. 
If  any  one  is  appointed  on  such  a  committee 
who  is  not  in  sympathy  with  the  proposed 
action,  he  should  say  so  and  ask  to  be  ex- 
cused. Sometimes  such  a  committee  is  given 
power  to  add  to  its  number. 

The  object  of  going  into  committee  of  the 
whole,  or  considering  a  question  as  if  in  com- 
mittee of  the  whole,  or  informally,  is  to  enable 
the  assembly  to  discuss  a  question  with  per- 
fect freedom,  there  being  no  limit  to  the  num- 
ber of  speeches.  The  first  method  is  used  in 
the  United  States  House  of  Representatives, 
and  the  second  in  the  United  States  Senate. 
The  last  one  is  the  simplest,  and  is  best 
adapted  to  ordinary  societies  that  are  not  very 
large.     They  are  explained  in  55-57. 

If  any  form  of  the  motion  to  commit  is 
made  with  reference  to  a  question  not  pend- 
ing, it  becomes  a  main  motion.  Thus,  a  mo- 
tion to  go  into  committee  of  the  whole  on  a 
question  not  pending,  or  to  appoint  a  com- 
mittee upon  a  subject  not  pending,  or  to  ap- 
point a  committee  to  take  certain  action,  is  a 
main  motion. 

To  Discharge  a  Committee.  When  a  com- 
mittee has  made  its  final  report  and  it  has  been 


§32]  TO  COMMIT  OR   REFER  I33 

received  by  the  assembly,  the  committee  ceases 
to  exist  without  any  motion  being  made  to  that 
effect.  If,  for  any  reason,  the  assembly  wishes 
to  take  a  question  out  of  the  hands  of  a  com- 
mittee, and  it  is  too  late  to  reconsider  the  vote 
on  the  committal,  it  is  necessary  to  ''discharge 
the  committee  from  further  consideration"  of 
the  resolution  or  other  matter  referred  to  it, 
for  as  long  as  the  matter  is  in  the  hands  of 
the  committee,,  the  assembly  cannot  consider 
anything  involving  practically  the  same  ques- 
tion. If  the  committee  has  not  yet  taken  up 
the  question  referred  to  it,  the  proper  motion 
on  the  day  or  the  day  after  it  was  referred,  is 
to  reconsider  the  vote  to  commit,  which  re- 
quires only  a  majority  vote.  If  the  motion  to 
reconsider  cannot  be  made,  a  motion  to  dis- 
charge the  committee  should  be  made,  which, 
if  adopted,  practically  rescinds  action  taken, 
and  therefore  requires  a  two-thirds  vote,  or  a 
vote  of  a  majority  of  the  membership,  unless 
previous  notice  of  the  motion  has  been  given, 
when  it  requires  only  a  majority  vote.  When 
the  committee  is  discharged  its  chairman  re- 
turns to  the  secretary  all  papers  that  have 
been  entrusted  to  him.  It  requires  a  motion 
to  bring  the  matter  referred  before  the  assem- 
bly, and  this  motion  may  be  combined  with 
the  motion  to  discharge,  thus:  "I  move  that 
the  committee  to  whom  was  referred  the  reso- 
lution on  immigration  be  discharged,  and  that 
the  resolution  be  now  taken  up  for  consider- 


134  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  33 

ation  [or,  be  considered  at  some  other  specified 
time]."* 

33.  To  Amend  takes  precedence  of  the 
motion  to  postpone  indefinitely,  and  yields  to 
all  other  subsidiary  [12]  motions  and  to  all 
privileged  [14]  and  incidental  [13]  motions, 
except  the  motion  to  divide  the  question.  It 
can  be  applied  to  all  motions  except  those  in 
the  List  of  Motions  that  Cannot  he  Amended 
[page  146].  It  can  be  amended  itself,  but 
this  "amendment  of  an  amendment"  (an 
amendment  of  the  second  degree)  cannot  be 
amended.  The  previous  question  and  motions 
to  limit  or  extend  the  limits  of  debate  may  be 
applied  to  an  amendment,  or  to  only  an  amend- 
ment of  an  amendment,  and  in  such  case  they 
do  not  affect  the  main  question,  unless  so  spec- 
ified. An  amendment  is  debatable  in  all  cases 
except  where  the  motion  to  be  amended  is 
undebatable.  An  amendment  of  a  pending 
question  requires  only  a  majority  vote  for  its 
adoption,  even  though  the  question  to  be 
amended    requires    a    two-thirds    vote.      An 


*  In  H.  R.  Rule  27  is  the  following  :  "4.  Any  member 
may  present  to  the  clerk  a  motion  in  writing  to  dis- 
charge a  committee  from  further  consideration  of  any 
public  bill  or  joint  resolution  which  may  have  been  re- 
ferred to  such  committee  fifteen  days  prior  thereto.  AH. 
such  motions  shall  be  entered  in  the  journal  and  printed 
on  a  calendar  to  be  known  as  a  'Calendar  of  Motions  to 
Discharge  Committees.'  .  .  .  When  such  motions  shall 
be  called  up  .  .  .  debate  on  such  motion  shall  be  lim- 
ited to  twenty  minutes,  one-half  thereof  in  favor  of  the 
proposition  and  one-half  in  opposition  thereto.  Such 
motions  shall  have  precedence  over  motions  to  suspend 
the  rules  and  shall:  require  for  adoption,  an  aflfirmatrve 
vote  of  a  majority,  of  the  membership  of  the  House."  ;  . 


§33]  TO  AMEND  ^         135 

amendment  of  a  constitution  or  by-laws,  or 
rules  of  order,  or  order  of  business,  previously 
adopted,  requires  a  two-thirds  vote;  but  an 
amendment  of  that  amendment  requires  only 
a  majority  vote.  When  a  motion  or  resolution 
is  under  consideration  only  one  amendment  of 
the  first  degree  is  permitted  at  a  time,  and  one 
amendment  of  that  amendment — that  is,  an 
amendment  of  the  second  degree — is  allowed 
also.  An  amendment  of  the  third  degree 
would  be  too  complicated  and  is  not  in  order.* 
Instead  of  making  it,  a  member  may  say  that 
if  the  amendment  of  the  amendment  is  voted 
down,  he  will  offer  such  and  such  an  amend- 
ment of  the  amendment.  While  there  can  be 
only  one  amendment  of  each  degree  pending 
at  the  same  time,  any  number  of  them  may  be 
offered  in  succession.  An  amendment  must 
be  germanet  to  the  subject  to  be  amended — 
that  is,  it  must  relate  to  it,  as  shown  further 


*  A  substitute  may  be  reported  by  a  committee  while 
amendments  of  the  first  and  second  degree  are  pending 
as  shown  on  page  226.  In  Congress  it  has  been  found 
best  to  allow  a  substitute  and  an  amendment  thereto 
while  two  amendments  are  pending.  The  House  rulo  as 
to  amendments  is  as  follows  :  "When  a  motion  or  propo- 
sition is  under  consideration  a  motion  to  amend  and  a 
motion  to  amend  that  amendment  shall  be  in  order,  and 
it  shall  also  be  in  order  to  offer  a  further  amendment  by 
way  of  substitute,  to  which  one  amendment  may  be 
offered,  but  which  shall  not  be  voted  on  until  the  original 
matter  is  perfected  ;  but  either  may  be  withdrawn  before 
amendment  or  decision  is  had  thereon.  Amendments  to 
the  title  of  a  hill  or  resolution  shall  not  be  in  order 
until  after  its  passage,  and  shall  be  decided  without  de- 
bate."    H.  li.  Rule  19. 

t  ■'.  .  .  No  motion  or  proposition  on  a  subject  dif- 
ferent from  that  under  consideration  shall  be  admitted 
under  color  of  amendment."     H.  R.  Rule  16,  §  7. 


136  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  33 

on.  So  an  amendm£nt  to  an  amendment  must 
be  germane  to  the  latter. 

Form.  An  amendment  may  be  in  any  of 
the  following  forms:  (a)  to  insert  or  add 
(that  is,  place  at  the  end)  ;  (b)  to  strike  out; 
(c)  to  strike  out  and  insert,  or  to  substitute, 
as  it  is  called,  when  an  entire  paragraph  or 
resolution  is  struck  out  and  another  is  in- 
serted. The  third  form  is  a  combination  of 
the  other  two  and  cannot  be  divided,  though, 
as  shown  hereafter,  for  the  purposes  of 
amendment  the  two  motions  are  treated  sep- 
arately, the  words  to  be  struck  out  being  first 
amended  and  then  the  words  to  be  inserted. 
No  amendment  is  in  order  the  effect  of  which 
is  to  convert  one  of  these  forms  into  another. 

The  motion  to  amend  is  made  in  a  form 
similar  to  this :  'T  move  to  amend  the  resolu- 
tion by  inserting  the  word  'very'  before  the 
word  'good ;'  "  or,  it  may  be  reduced  to  a  form 
as  simple  as  this :  'T  move  to  insert  'very' 
before  'good.' "  The  motion  to  insert  should 
always  specify  the  word  before  or  after  which 
the  insertion  is  to  be  made.  The  motion  to 
strike  out  should  also  locate  the  word,  pro- 
vided it  occurs  more  than  once.  When  the 
chair  states  the  question  on  the  amendment 
he  should  repeat  the  motion  in  detail  so  that 
all  may  understand  what  modification  is  pro- 
posed. Unless  the  effect  of  the  amendment 
is  very  evident,  he  should,  in  putting  the  ques- 
tion, show  clearly  the  effect  of  its  adoption, 


§  33]  TO  AMEND  137 

even  though  it  requires  the  reading  of  the 
entire  resolution,  and  then  the  words  to  be 
inserted,  or  struck  out,  or  struck  out  and  in- 
serted, and  finally  the  resolution  as  it  will 
stand  if  the  amendment  is  adopted.  He  then 
says,  '*As  many  as  are  in  favor  of  the  amend- 
ment [or,  of  striking  out,  etc.,  or  of  inserting, 
etc.]  say  aye;  those  opposed,  say  no.  The 
ayes  have  it,  the  amendment  is  adopted,  and 
the  question  is  on  the  resolution  as  amended, 
which  is,  'Resolved,  That,'  "  etc..  reading  the 
resolution  as  amended.  If  the  vote  is  taken 
by  show  of  hands  or  by  rising,  the  question  is 
put  and  the  vote  announced  thus :  "As  many 
as  are  in  favor  of  the  amendment  will  rise  [or, 
will  raise  the  right  hand]  ;  those  opposed  will 
rise  [or,  will  manifest  it  in  the  same  way]. 
The  affirmative  has  it  and  the  amendment  is 
adopted.  The  question  is  on  the  resolution," 
etc.  The  instant  the  amendment  is  voted  on, 
whether  it  is  adopted  or  lost,  the  chair  should 
announce  the  result  of  the  vote  and  state  the 
question  that  is  then  before  the  assembly. 

To  Insert  or  Add  Words.  When  a  motion 
to  insert  [or  add^^  certain  words  is  made,  the 
words  to  be  inserted  should  be  perfected  by 
amendments  proposed  by  their  friends  before 
the  vote  is  taken  on  inserting  or  adding  them. 
After  words  have  been  inserted  or  added,  they 
cannot  be  changed  or  struck  out  except  by  a 
motion  to  strike  out  the  paragraph,  or  such  a 
portion  of  it  as  shall  make  the  question  an 


138  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§33 

entirely  different  one  from  that  of  inserting 
the  particular  words ;  or  by  combining  such  a 
motion  to  strike  out  the  paragraph  or  a  por- 
tion of  it  with  the  motion  to  insert  other 
words.  The  principle  involved  is  that  when 
the  assembly  has  voted  that  certain  words 
shall  form  a  part  of  a  resolution,  it  is  not  in 
order  to  make  another  motion  that  involves 
exactly  the  same  question  as  the  one  it  has 
decided.  The  only  way  to  bring  it  up  again 
is  to  move  to  reconsider  [36]  the  vote  by 
which  the  words  were  inserted.  If  the  motion 
to  insert  is  lost,  it  does  not  preclude  any  other 
motion  to  insert  these  words  together  w4th 
other  words,  or  in  place  of  other  words,  pro- 
vided the  new  motion  presents  essentially  a 
new  question  to  the  assembly. 

To  Strike  out  Words.  The  motion  to  strike 
out  certain  w^ords  can  be  applied  only  to  con- 
secutive words,  though,  as  the  result  of  amend- 
ments, the  words  may  be  separated  when  the 
final  vote  is  taken.  If  it  is  desired  to  strike 
out  separated  words,  it  is  necessary  to  strike 
out  the  separated  words  by  separate  motions, 
or  still  better,  a  motion  may  be  made  to  strike 
out  the  entire  clause  or  sentence  containing 
the  words  to  be  struck  out  and  insert  a  new 
clause  or  sentence  as  desired.  The  motion  to 
strike  out  certain  words  may  be  amended  only 
by  striking  out  words  from  the  amendment, 
the  effect  of  which  is  to  retain  in  the  resolu- 
tion the  words  struck  out  of  the  amendment 


§  32]  TO  AMEND  139 

provided  both  motions  are  adopted.  If  the 
motion  to  strike  out  certain  words  is  adopted, 
the  same  words  cannot  be  again  inserted  unless 
the  place  or  the  wording  is  so  changed  as  to 
make  a  new  proposition.  It  the  motion  to 
strike  out  fails,*  it  does  not  preclude  a  motion 
to  strike  out  the  same  words  and  insert  other 
words,  or  to  strike  out  a  part  of  the  words,  or 
to  strike  out  a  part  and  insert  other  words ;  or 
to  strike  out  these  words  with  others,  or  to 
do  this  and  insert  other  words.  In  each  of 
these  cases  the  new  question  is  materially  dif- 
ferent from  the  old  one.  For  striking  out  all, 
or  a  part,  of  something  that  has  been  previ- 
ously adopted,  see  ''Rescind,  etc."  [37]. 

To  Strike  Out  and  Insert  Words  is  a  com- 
bination of  the  two  preceding  motions,  and 
is  indivisible.*  For  purposes  of  amendment 
it  is  resolved  into  its  constituent  elements,  and 
the  words  to  be  struck  out  are  first  amended, 
after  which  the  words  to  be  inserted  are 
amended.  After  their  amendment  the  question 
is  put  on  the  motion  to  strike  out  and  insert.  If 
it  is  adopted,  the  inserted  words  cannot  be 
struck  out,  nor  can  the  words  struck  out  be  in- 
serted, unless  the  words  or  place  are  so  changed 
as  to  make  the  question  a  new  one,  as  described 
above.  If  the  motion  is  lost,  it  does  not  pre- 
clude either  of  the  single  motions  to  strike  out 

*  "A  motion  to  strike  out  and  insert  is  indivisible,  but 
a  motion  to  strike  out  being  lost  shall  neither  preclude 
amendment  nor  motion  to  strike  out  and  insert;  .  .  ."' 
H.  R.  Rule  IG,  §7. 


140  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§33 

or  to  insert  the  same  words,  nor  another  mo- 
tion to  strike  out  and  insert,  provided  there 
is  any  material  change  in  either  the  words  to 
be  struck  out  or  the  words  to  be  inserted,  so 
that  the  questions  are  not  practically  identical. 
When  it  is  desired  to  strike  out  or  modify 
separated  words,  a  motion  may  be  made  to 
strike  out  so  much  of  the  resolution  as  is  nec- 
essary to  include  all  the  words  to  be  struck 
out  or  changed,  and  to  insert  the  desired  re- 
vision including  these  words.  If  the  words 
are  inserted  in  the  place  previously  occupied 
by  the  words  struck  out,  they  may  differ  ma- 
terially from  the  latter,  provided  they  are 
germane  to  it.  If  the  words  are  to  be  inserted 
at  a  different  place,  then  they  must  not  differ 
materially  from  those  struck  out,  as  it  must 
be  in  the  nature  of  a  transfer.  The  combined 
motion  to  strike  out  words  in  one  place  and  to 
insert  different  words  in  another  place  is  not 
in  order.  Either  the  place  or  the  words  must 
be  substantially  the  same.  If  there  are  sev- 
eral changes  to  be  made,  it  is  usually  better  to 
rewrite  the  paragraph  and  offer  it  as  a  sub- 
stitute, as  shown  further  on. 

Amendments  Affecting  an  Entire  Paragraph. 
A  motion  to  insert  (or  add)  or  to  strike  out 
a  paragraph,  or  to  substitute  one  paragraph 
for  another,  is  an  amendment  of  the  first  de- 
gree, and  therefore  cannot  be  made  when  an 
amendment  is  pending.  The  friends  of  the 
paragraph  to  be  inserted  or  struck  out  should 


§33]  TO  AMEND  141 

put  it  in  the  best  possible  shape  by  amending 
it  before  it  is  voted  on.  After  a  paragraph 
has  been  inserted  it  cannot  be  amended  ex- 
cept by  adding  to  it ;  and  it  cannot  be  struck 
out  except  in  connection  with  other  paragraphs 
so  as  to  make  the  question  essentially  a  new 
one.  If  a  paragraph  is  struck  out,  it  cannot 
be  inserted  afterwards  unless  it  is  so  changed 
in  wording  or  place  as  to  present  an  essentially 
new  question.  If  the  motion  to  insert  or  to 
strike  out  a  paragraph  is  lost,  it  does  not  pre- 
clude any  other  motion  except  one  that  pre- 
sents essentially  the  same  question  as  the  one 
that  the  assembly  has  already  decided,  as 
shown  above  in  the  case  of  amending  words 
of  a  paragraph.  Thus,  when  a  motion  to  in- 
sert a  paragraph  has  been  lost,  it  is  in  order 
to  move  to  insert  a  part  of  the  paragraph  or 
the  entire  paragraph  if  materially  altered.  So, 
though  the  assembly  has  refused  to  strike  out 
a  paragraph,  it  is  in  order  to  strike  out  a  part 
of  the  paragraph  or  otherwise  to  amend  it, 
though  it  is  safer  for  its  friends  to  make  it 
as  nearly  perfect  as  possible  before  the  vote 
is  taken  on  striking  it  out,  with  a  view  to 
defeating  that  motion. 

A  motion  to  substitute  one  paragraph  for 
another  (which  is  a  combination  of  the  two 
preceding  motions)  after  being  stated  by  the 
chair  is  resolved  into  its  two  elements  for  the 
purpose  of  amendment,  the  chair  at  first  en- 
tertaining amendments  only  to  the  paragraph 


142  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  33 

to  be  Struck  out,  these  amendments  being  of 
the  second  degree.  After  it  is  perfected  by 
its  friends,  the  chair  asks  if  there  are  any 
amendments  proposed  to  the  paragraph  to  be 
inserted.  When  both  paragraphs  have  been 
perfected  by  amendments  the  question  is  put 
on  substituting  one  paragraph  for  the  other. 
Even  though  the  paragraph  constitutes  the 
entire  resolution  and  the  motion  to  substitute 
is  carried,  it  is  necessary  afterwards  to  vote 
on  adopting  the  resolution,  as  it  has  only  been 
voted  to  substitute  one  paragraph  for  another. 
A  paragraph  that  has  been  substituted  for  an- 
other cannot  be  amended  after^vards,  except 
by  adding  to  it,  like  any  other  paragraph  that 
has  been  inserted.  The  paragraph  that  has 
been  replaced  cannot  be  again  inserted  unless 
so  modified  as  to  constitute  a  new  question, 
as  with  any  paragraph  that  has  been  struck 
out.  If  the  motion  to  substitute  is  lost,  the 
assembly  has  only  decided  that  that  particular 
paragraph  shall  not  replace  the  one  specified. 
It  may  be  willing  that  it  replace  some  other 
paragraph,  or  that  it  be  inserted,  or  that  the 
paragraph  retained  in  the  resolution  be  fur- 
ther amended,  or  even  struck  out.  But  no 
amendment  is  in  order  that  presents  to  the 
assembly  practically  a  question  that  it  has 
already  decided. 

In  parliamentary  language  it  is  not  correct 
to  speak  of  ''substituting"  one  word  or  part 
of  a  paragraph   for  another,  as  the  term  is 


§  33]  TO  AMEND  143 

applied  to  nothing  less  than  a  paragraph. 
When  a  question  is  being  considered  by  sec- 
tion, it  is  in  order  to  move  a  substitute  for 
the  pending  section.  A  substitute  for  the  en- 
tire resolution,  or  report,  cannot  be  moved 
until  the  sections  have  all  been  considered  and 
the  chair  has  announced  that  the  entire  paper 
is  open  to  amendment.  When  a  resolution 
with  amendments  of  the  first  and  second  de- 
gree pending,  is  referred  to  a  committee,  they 
may  report  it  back  with  a  substitute  for  the 
resolution  which  they  recommend,  even  though 
two  amendments  are  pending.  In  such  a  case 
the  chair  states  the  question  first  on  the 
amendments  that  were  pending  when  the  reso- 
lution was  committed.  When  they  are  dis- 
posed of,  he  states  the  question  on  the  substi- 
tute recommended  by  the  committee  and 
proceeds  as  in  case  of  any  other  substitute 
motion. 

Improper  Amendments.  An  amendment  is 
not  in  order  which  is  not  germane  to  the  ques- 
tion to  be  amended;  or  merely  makes  the  af- 
firmative of  the  amended  question  equivalent 
to  the  negative  of  the  original  question ;  or  is 
identical  with  a  question  previously  decided 
by  the  assembly  during  that  session;  or 
changes  one  form  of  amendment  to  another 
form ;  or  substitutes  one  form  of  motion  for 
another  form ;  or  strikes  out  the  word  Re- 
solved from  a  resolution ;  or  strikes  out  or 
inserts  words  which  would  leave  no  rational 


Iz^  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  33 

proposition  before  the  assembly;  or  is  friv- 
olous or  absurd.  An  amendment  of  an  amend- 
ment must  be  germane  to — that  is,  must  relate 
to — the  subject  of  the  amendment  as  well  as 
the  main  motion.  No  independent  new  ques- 
tion can  be  introduced  under  cover  of  an 
amendment.  But  an  amendment  may  be  in 
conflict  with  the  spirit  of  the  original  motion 
and  still  be  germane,  and  therefore  in  order. 
Illustrations:  A  resolution  of  censure  may 
be  amended  by  striking  out  the  word  '"cen- 
sure" and  inserting  the  word  "thanks,"  for 
both  relate  to  opinion  of  certain  conduct;  re- 
fusing to  censure  is  not  the  same  as  expressing 
thanks.  A  resolution  to  purchase  some  books 
could  not  be  amended  by  striking  out  the 
words  relating  to  books  and  inserting  words 
relating  to  a  building.  Suppose  a  resolution 
pending  directing  the  treasurer  to  purchase  a 
desk  for  the  secretary,  and  an  amendment  is 
offered  to  add  the  words,  *'and  to  pay  the  ex- 
penses of  the  delegates  to  the  State  Conven- 
tion ;"  such  an  amendment  is  not  germane  to 
the  resolution,  as  paying  the  expenses  of  the 
delegates  is  in  no  way  related  to  purchasing 
a  desk  for  the  secretary,  and  is  therefore  out 
of  order.  But  if  an  amendment  were  offered 
to  insert  the  words  "and  a  permanent  record 
book"  after  th«  word  "desk,"  it  would  be  in 
order,  because  both  are  articles  to  enable  the 
secretary  to  perform  his  duties.  If  a  resolu- 
tion were  pending  condemning  certain  things, 


§33]  TO  AMEND  145 

it  could  be  amended  by  adding  other  things 
that  were  similar  or  in  some  way  related  to 
them.  Suppose  a  resolution  commending  A 
and  B  for  heroism  is  pending;  if  the  acts  of 
heroism  were  not  connected,  amendments  are 
in  order  adding  other  names  for  other  acts  of 
heroism ;  but  if  the  commendation  is  for  an 
act  of  heroism  in  which  A  and  B  were  joined, 
then  no  names  can  be  added  to  the  resolution 
unless  the  parties  were  connected  wdth  A  and 
B  in  that  act.  Suppose  the  following  resolu- 
tion pending:  "Resolved,  That  the  Secretary 
be  instructed  to  notify  our  representative  in 
Congress  that  we  do  approve  of  his  course  in 
regard  to  the  tariff."  A  motion  to  amend  by 
inserting  not  after  the  word  be  would  be  out 
of  order,  because  an  affirmative  vote  on  "not 
instructing"  is  identical  in  effect  with  a  nega- 
tive vote  on  "instructing."  But  the  motion  to 
insert  the  word  not  after  do  is  in  order,  for 
an  affirmative  vote  on  disapproving  of  a  cer- 
tain course  is  not  the  same  as  a  negative  vote 
on  a  resolution  of  approval,  as  the  latter  may 
mean  nothing  but  an  unwillingness  to  express 
an  opinion  on  the  subject.  If  a  resolution  is 
pending  and  a  member  makes  the  motion,  '7 
move  to  strike  out  the  words  'pine  benches' 
and  insert  the  words  'oak  chairs,' "  it  is  an 
amendment  of  the  first  degree,  and  no  other 
amendment  of  that  degree  is  in  order  until 
this  is  acted  upon.  All  the  words  in  italics 
are  necessary   for  this   form  of  motion,  and 


146  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  33 

are  not  subject  to  amendment.  The  only 
amendments  in  order  are  those  that  change  the 
words  ''pine  benches"  or  "oak  chairs" — that 
is,  first  those  to  be  struck  out,  and  when  they 
are  perfected,  then  those  to  be  inserted.  Sup- 
pose the  motion  to  "strike  out  'pine'  "  is  pend- 
ing, and  it  is  moved  to  amend  by  adding  "and 
insert  'oak.' ''  This  motion  is  out  of  order,  as 
it  changes  one  form  of  amendment  to  another 
form.  It  is  not  in  order  to  move  to  strike  out 
the  word  "adopt"  in  a  motion  and  insert  the 
word  "reject,"  as  "adopt"  is  a  formal  word 
necessary  to  show  the  kind  of  motion  made. 
Practically,  however,  the  same  result  may  be 
attained  by  moving  to  postpone  indefinitely — 
that  is,  to  reject,  the  main  question.  The  chair 
should  never  rule  an  amendment  out  of  order 
unless  he  is  perfectly  sure  that  it  is  so.  If  he 
is  in  doubt  he  should  admit  the  amendment, 
or  submit  the  question  as  to  its  being  in  order 
to  the  assembly  as  described  in  21. 

Every  original  main  motion  may  be 
amended.  All  others  may  be  amended,  ex- 
cept those  contained  in  the  following  list  of 

Motions  That  Cannot  Be  Amended. 

To  adjourn  (except  when  it  is  qualified,  or 
when  made  in  an  assembly  with  no  provi- 
sion for  a  future  meeting) 17 

Call  for  the  orders  of  the  day 20 

Question  of  order,  and  appeal 21 

To  object  to  consideration  of  a  question 23 

Call  for  a  division  of  the  assembly 25 

To  grant  leave  to  withdraw  a  motion 27 


§  33]  TO  AMEND  147 

To  grant  leave  to  speak  after  indecorum 21 

A  request  of  any  kind 27 

To  take  up  a  question  out  of  its  proper  order .   22 

To  suspend  the  rules 22 

To  lay  on  the  table 28 

To  take  from  the  table 35 

To  reconsider 36 

The  previous  question 29 

To  postpone  indefinitely 34 

To  amend  an  amendment 33 

To  fill  a  blank 33 

A  nomination 66 

A  motion  to  adopt  a  resolution  or  a  by-law 
may  be  amended  by  adding,  "and  that  it  be 
printed  and  that  members  be  supplied  with 
copies,"  or,  "that  they  go  into  effect  at  the 
close  of  this  annual  meeting,"  or  anything  of 
a  similar  kind.  Under  each  of  the  privileged, 
incidental,  and  subsidiary  motions,  it  is  stated 
wliether  or  not  the  motion  may  be  amended, 
and,  when  necessary,  the  way  in  which  it  may 
be  amended  is  explained.  An  amendment  to 
anything  already  adopted  is  not  a  subsidiary 
motion.  The  matter  to  be  amended  is  not 
pending  and  is  therefore  not  affected  by  any- 
thing done  with  the  amendment,  provided  it 
is  not  adopted.  Such  an  amendment  is  a  main 
motion  subject  to  amendments  of  the  first  and 
second  degrees.  If  the  motion  is  to  strike  out 
an  entire  resolution  that  has  been  adopted,  it 
is  usually  called  to  Rescind  and  is  explained 
under  that  head  [37].  If  the  motion  is  to 
amend  a  by-law,  etc.,  it  will  be  found  under 
Amendments  of  Constitutions,  By-laws,  etc. 
[68],      Minutes    are    usually    amended    (cor- 


14.8  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  33 

rected)  informally,  the  chair  directing  the  cor- 
rection to  be  made  when  suggested.  But  if 
objection  is  made,  a  formal  vote  is  necessary 
for  the  amendment.  The  minutes  may  be  cor- 
rected whenever  the  error  is  noticed  regardless 
of  the  time  which  has  elapsed ;  but  after  their 
adoption,  when  too  late  to  reconsider  the  vote, 
they  require  a  two-thirds  vote  for  their  amend- 
ment, unless  previous  notice  of  the  proposed 
amendment  has  been  given,  when  only  a  ma- 
jority vote  is  required  for  its  adoption,  the 
same  as  with  the  motion  to  rescind  [37].  This 
is  necessary  for  the  protection  of  the  records, 
which  otherwise  would  be  subject  to  the  risk 
of  being  tampered  with  by  temporary  majori- 
ties. The  numbers  prefixed  to  paragraphs, 
articles,  etc.,  are  only  marginal  indications  and 
should  be  corrected  by  the  secretary,  if  neces- 
sary, without  any  motion  to  amend.  For 
amending  a  long  paper,  such  as  a  series  of 
resolutions,  or  a  set  of  by-laws,  which  should 
be  considered  and  amended  bv  paragraph,  see 
24. 

Filling  Blanks.'^  Propositions  for  filling 
blanks  are  treated  somewhat  diflferently  from 
other  amendments,  in  that  any  number  of 
members  may  propose,  without  a  second,  dif- 


*  While  Coagress  has  no  rule  on  filling  blanks  except 
tho^  common  parliamentary  law  as  laid  down  in  Jeflfer- 
sons  Manual,  it  rarely  makes  use  of  this  law,  but  avails 
Itself  of  Its  rule  which  allows  of  four  amendments  pend- 
ing at  the  same  time,  namely,  amendments  of  the  first 
and    second    degree,    and    a    substitute    and    amendment 


§  33]  TO  AMEND  149 

f erent  names  or  numbers  for  filling  the  blanks, 
no  one  proposing  more  than  one  name  or 
number  for  each  place,  unless  by  general  con- 
sent. These  are  treated  not  as  amendments, 
one  of  another,  but  as  independent  proposi- 
tions to  be  voted  on  successively.  If  the 
blank  is  to  be  filled  with  a  name,  the  chair 
repeats  the  names  as  they  are  proposed  so  all 
may  hear  them,  and  finally  takes  a  vote  on 
each  name,  beginning  with  the  first  proposed, 
until  one  receives  a  majority  vote.  If  the 
blank  is  to  be  filled  with  several  names  and 
no  more  names  are  suggested  than  required, 
the  names  may  be  inserted  without  a  vote. 
If  more  names  than  required  are  suggested,  a 
vote  is  taken  on  each,  beginning  with  the  first, 
until  enough  to  fill  the  blank  have  received  a 
majority  vote.  If  the  number  of  names  is  not 
specified,  a  vote  is  taken  on  each  name  sug- 
gested, and  all  that  receive  a  majority  vote  are 
inserted. 

If  the  blank  is  to  be  filled  with  a  number  or 
a  date,  then  the  largest  sum,  or  the  longest 
time,  or  the  most  distant  date,  is  put  first,  un- 
less it  is  evident  to  the  chair  that  the  reverse 
order  is  necessary  to  enable  the  first  vote  to 
be  taken  on  the  proposition  that  is  least  likely 
to  be  adopted.  Suppose  a  committee  is  being 
instructed  to  purchase  a  building  for  a  blank 
amount :  the  voting  on  filling  the  blank  should 
begin  with  the  largest  sum  proposed;  if  that 
is  lost,  all  who  voted  for  it,  and  some  others, 


150 


RULES  OF  ORDER  [§33 


would  favor  the  next  largest  sum,  so  that  the 
vote  would  be  greater,  and  so  on  down  to  the 
largest  sum  that  is  favored  by  a  majority.  If 
the  voting  began  with  the  smallest  sum,  every 
one  would  be  willing  to  pay  that  amount,  and 
it  might  be  adopted  and  thus  cut  oflF  voting  on 
the  other  propositions,  whereas  a  majority 
would  prefer  authorizing  the  committee  to 
spend  a  larger  amount.  On  the  other  hand, 
suppose  the  committee  was  being  authorized 
to  sell  a  building  for  a  blank  amount:  here 
it  is  evident  that  there  would  be  more  in  favor 
of  the  large  sum  than  of  the  small  one.  So 
to  get  at  the  wish  of  the  assembly  the  voting 
should  begin  with  the  smallest  sum  proposed  ; 
all  who  are  willing  to  sell  for  that  amount, 
and  some  additional  ones,  will  be  willing  to 
sell  for  the  next  larger  sum ;  and  so  the  small- 
est sum  for  which  the  majority  is  willing  to 
sell  will  be  gradually  reached. 

It  is  sometimes  convenient  to  create  a  blank, 
as  in  the  following  example :  A  resolution  is 
pending  requesting  the  proper  authorities  to 
prohibit  the  erection  of  wooden  buildings  north 
of  A  street,  and  an  amendment  to  strike  out 
A  and  insert  B,  and  an  amendment  of  the 
second  degree  to  strike  out  B  and  insert  C, 
have  been  made.  The  debate  developing  the 
fact  that  several  other  streets  have  their  ad- 
vocates, the  best  course  is  for  the  chair  to  state 
that,  if  there  is  no  objection,  the  motion  would 
be  treated  as  having  a  blank  for  the  name  of 


§33]  TO  AMEND  151 

the  street,  and  that  A,  B,  and  C  have  been 
proposed  for  filHng  the  blank.  In  this  way 
other  names  could  be  suggested  and  they 
would  be  voted  on  successively  beginning  with 
the  one  that  made  the  prohibited  area  the 
largest,  and  continuing  down  until  one  was 
reached  that  could  get  a  majority  in  its  favor. 
If  objection  is  made  to  leaving  a  blank  for 
the  name,  the  chair  may  put  the  question  with- 
out waiting  for  a  motion,  or  any  one  may 
move,  as  an  incidental  motion,  that  a  blank  be 
created  for  the  name  of  the  street.  This  mo- 
tion is  undebatable,  and  cannot  be  amended, 
but  it  may  be  moved  to  fill  the  blank  by  ballot 
or  in  any  other  way. 

The  blanks  in  a  resolution  should  be  filled 
usually  before  voting  on  the  resolution.  But 
sometimes,  when  a  large  majority  is  opposed 
to  the  resolution,  the  previous  question  is  or- 
dered without  waiting  for  the  blanks  to  be 
filled,  thus  stopping  debate  and  further  amend- 
ment, and  bringing  the  assembly  at  once  to  a 
vote  on  the  resolution.  Under  such  circum- 
stances the  resolution  would  usually  be  re- 
jected. But  should  it  be  adopted,  it  would 
be  necessary  to  fill  the  blanks  in  the  skeleton 
resolution  before  any  other  than  privileged 
business  would  be  in  order. 

The  method  cidopted  in  filling  blanks  has 
sometimes  a  great  advantage  over  ordinary 
amendment.  In  amending,  the  last  one  pro- 
posed is  the  first  one  voted   on,  whereas   in 


152  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§34 

filling  blanks  the  first  one  proposed,  or  nomi- 
nated, is  voted  on  first,  except  where,  from 
the  nature  of  the  case,  another  order  is  prefer- 
able, and  then  that  order  is  adopted  as  ex- 
plained above. 

Nominations  are  treated  like  filling  blanks ; 
any  number  may  be  pending  at  the  same  time, 
not  as  amendments  of  each  other,  but  as  in- 
dependent propositions  to  be  voted  on  in  the 
order  in  which  they  were  made  until  one 
receives  a  majority  vote.     [See  66.] 

34>  To  Postpone  Indefinitely  takes  prece- 
dence of  nothing  except  the  main  motion  to 
which  it  is  applied,  and  yields  to  all  privileged 
[14],  incidental  [13],  and  other  subsidiary 
[12]  motions.  It  cannot  be  amended  or  have 
any  other  subsidiary  motion  applied  to  it  ex- 
cept the  previous  question  and  motions  limit- 
ing or  extending  the  limits  of  debate.  It  is 
debatable  and  opens  the  main  c|uestion  to  de- 
bate. It  can  be  applied  to  nothing  but  main 
questions,  which  include  questions  of  privi- 
lege and  orders  of  the  day  after  they  are  be- 
fore the  assembly  for  consideration.  An 
affirmative  vote  on  it  may  be  reconsidered, 
but  not  a  negative  vote.  If  lost  it  cannot  be 
renewed.  It  is  simply  a  motion  to  reject  the 
main  question.  If  a  main  motion  is  referred 
to  a  committee  while  to  postpone  indefinitely 
is  pending,  the  latter  motion  is  ignored  and 
does  not  go  to  the  committee. 

The  Object  of  this  motion  is  not  to  postpone, 


§34]  "^O    POSTPONE    INDEFINITELY  I53 

but  to  reject,  the  main  motion  without  incur- 
ring the  risk  of  a  direct  vote  on  it.  and  it  is 
made  only  by  the  enemies  of  the  main  motion 
when  they  are  in  doubt  as  to  their  being  in 
the  majority. 

The  Effect  of  making  this  motion  is  to  en- 
able members  who  have  exhausted  their  right 
of  debate  on  the  main  question,  to  speak  again, 
as,  technically,  the  question  before  the  assem- 
bly is  different,  while,  as  far  as  the  subject  of 
discussion  is  concerned,  there  is  no  difference 
caused  by  changing  the  question  from  adopting 
to  rejecting  the  measure,  because  the  merits 
of  the  main  question  are  open  to  debate  in 
either  case.  If  adopted,  its  effect  is  to  sup- 
press the  main  motion  for  that  session,  unless 
the  vote  is  reconsidered.  As  this  motion  does 
not  suppress  the  debate  on  the  main  question, 
its  only  useful  effect  is  to  give  the  opponents 
of  the  pending  measure  a  chance  of  killing 
the  main  motion  without  risking  its  adoption 
in  case  of  failure.  For,  if  they  carry  the  in- 
definite postponement,  the  main  question  is 
suppressed  for  the  session  ;  if  they  fail,  they 
still  have  a  vote  on  the  main  question,  and, 
having  learned  their  strength  by  the  vote 
taken,  they  can  form  an  opinion  of  the  advisa- 
bility of  continuing  the  struggle. 


154  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§35 

Art.  VI.     Some  Main  and  Unclassified 
Motions. 

See  15  for  a  list  of  these  motions. 

35.  To  Take  from  the  Table  takes  prece- 
dence of  no  pending  question,  but  has  the 
right  of  way  in  preference  to  main  motions 
if  made  during  the  session  in  which  it  was 
laid  on  the  table  while  no  question  is  actually 
pending,  and  at  a  time  when  business  of  this 
class,  or  unfinished  business,  or  new  business, 
is  in  order;  and  also  during  the  next  session 
in  societies  having  regular  business  meetings 
as  frequently  as  quarterly.  It  yields  to  privi- 
leged [14]  and  incidental  [13]  motions,  but 
not  to  subsidiary  [12]  ones.  It  is  undebatable, 
and  no  subsidiary  motion  can  be  applied  to  it. 
It  is  not  in  order  unless  some  business  has 
been  transacted  since  the  question  was  laid  on 
the  table,  nor  can  it  be  renewed  until  some 
business  has  been  transacted  since  it  was  lost. 
The  motion  to  take  from  the  table  cannot  be 
reconsidered,  as  it  can  be  renewed  repeatedly 
if  lost,  and,  if  carried,  the  question  can  be 
again  laid  on  the  table  after  progress  in  debate 
or  business. 

In  ordinary  deliberative  assemblies,  a  ques- 
tion is  supposed  to  be  laid  on  the  table  only 
temporarily  with  the  expectation  of  its  con- 
sideration being  resumed  after  the  disposal  of 


§35]  "^O    TAKE    FROM    TABLE  I55 

the  interrupting  question,  or  at  a  more  con- 
venient season.*  As  soon  as  the  question  that 
Avas  introduced  when  the  first  question  was 
laid  on  the  table,  is  disposed  of,  any  one  may 
move  to  take  this  first  question  from  the  table. 
When  he  rises  to  make  the  motion,  if  the 
chair  recognizes  some  one  else  as  having  first 
risen,  he  should  at  once  say  that  he  rises  to 
move  to  take  a  question  from  the  table.  The 
chair  then  assigns  him  the  floor  if  the  other 
member  has  risen  to  make  a  main  motion.  If 
the  new  main  motion  has  been  stated  by  the 
chair  before  he  claims  the  floor,  he  must  wait 
until  that  question  is  disposed  of  before  his 
motion  will  be  in  order.  When  taken  up,  the 
question  with  everything  adhering  to  it  is  be- 
fore the  assembly  exactly  as  when  it  was  laid 
on  the  table.  Thus,  if  a  resolution  has  amend- 
ments and  a  motion  to  commit  pending  at  the 
time  it  was  laid  on  the  table,  when  it  is  taken 
from  the  table  the  question  is  first  on  the  mo- 
tion to  commit.  If  a  motion  to  postpone  to  a 
certain  time  is  pending  when  the  question  is 
laid  on  the  table,  and  it  is  taken  from  the  table 
after  that  time,  then  the  motion  to  postpone 
is  ignored  when  the  question  is  taken  up.  If 
the  question  is  taken  up  on  the  day  it  was  laid 

*  See  foot  note  on  page  107.  for  the  Coneressional 
practice.  As  stated  there.  Congress  has  abandoned  the 
ordinary  parliamentary  use  of  the  motion  to  lay  on  the 
table  and  has  converted  it  into  a  motion  to  enable  the 
majority  to  kill  a  measure  instantly.  Therefore  Con- 
gressional practice  in  regard  to  laying  on.  or  taking  from, 
the  table  is  of  no  authority  in  assemblies  using  these 
motions  in  the  common  parliamentary  law  sense. 


156  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§36 

on  the  table,  members  who  have  exhausted 
their  right  of  debate  cannot  again  speak  on 
the  question.  But  if  taken  up  on  another  day, 
no  notice  is  taken  of  speeches  previously  made. 
The  previous  question  is  not  exhausted  if  the 
question  upon  which  it  was  ordered  is  taken 
from  the  table  at  the  same  session,  even 
though  it  is  on  another  day. 

36.  Reconsider.*  This  motion  is  peculiar 
in  that  the  making  of  the  motion  has  a  higher 
rank  than  its  consideration,  and  for  a  certain 
time  prevents  anything  being  done  as  the  re- 
sult of  the  vote  it  is  proposed  to  reconsider. 
It  can  be  made  only  on  the  day  the  vote  to  be 
reconsidered  was  taken,  or  on  the  next  suc- 
ceeding day,  a  legal  holiday  or  a  recess  not 
being  counted  as  a  day.  It  must  be  made  by 
one  who  voted  with  the  prevailing  side.  Any 
member  may  second  it.  It  can  be  made  while 
any  other  question  is  pending,  even  if  an- 
other member  has  the  floor,  or  after  it  has 
been  voted  to  adjourn,  provided  the  chair  has 


•  H.  R.  Rule  18,  §1.  is  as  follows  :  "1.  When  a  motion 
has  been  made  and  carried,  or  lost,  it  shall  be  in  order 
for  any  member  of  the  majority,  on  the  same  or  succeed- 
ing day,  to  move  for  the  reconsideration  thereof,  and  such 
motion  shall  take  precedence  of  all  other  Questions  except 
the  consideration  of  a  conference  renort  or  a  motion  to 
adjourn,  and  shall  not  be  withdrawn  after  the  said  suc- 
ceeding day  without  the  consent  of  the  House,  and  there- 
after any  member  may  call  it  ud  for  consideration : 
Provided.  That  such  motion,  if  made  durine  the  last  six 
days  of  a  session,  shall  be  disoosed  of  when^made."  This 
rule  is  construed  to  mean  that  the  motion  to  reconsider 
may  be  made  by  any  member  who  voted  on  the  Question, 
except  when  the  yeas  and  nays  were  ordered  to  be  re- 
corded in  the  journal,  which  is  done,  however,  with  every 
important  vote. 


§36]  RECONSIDER  1 57 

not  declared  the  assembly  adjourned.  It  may 
be  made  after  the  previous  question  has  been 
ordered,  in  which  case  it  and  the  motion  to  be 
reconsidered  are  undebatable. 

While  the  making  of  the  motion  to  recon- 
sider has  such  high  privilege,  its  consideration 
has  only  the  rank  of  the  motion  to  be  recon- 
sidered, though  it  has  the  right  of  way  in  pref- 
erence to  any  new  motion  of  equal  rank,  as 
illustrated  further  on  ;  and  the  reconsideration 
of  a  vote  disposing  of  a  main  question  either 
temporarily  or  permanently  may  be  called  up, 
when  no  question  is  pending,  even  though  the 
general  orders  are  being  carried  out.  The 
motion  to  reconsider  cannot  be  amended,  post- 
poned indefinitely,  or  committed.  If  the  re- 
consideration is  laid  on  the  table  or  postponed 
definitely,  the  question  to  be  reconsidered  and 
all  adhering  questions  go  with  it.*  The  pre- 
vious question  and  the  motions  limiting  or 
extending  the  limits  of  debate  may  be  applied 
to  it  when  it  is  debatable.  It  is  undebatable 
only  when  the  motion  to  be  reconsidered  is 
undebatable.     When  debatable  it  opens  to  de- 


*  In  CoDtrress  it  is  usual  for  the  member  in  cbarpe  ol 
an  important  bill  as  soon  as  it  is  passed  to  move  its 
reconsideration,  and  at  tbe  same  time  to  move  tbat  the 
reconsideration  be  laid  on  the  table.  If  the  latter  motion 
is  adonted  the  reronsideration  is  dead  and  the  bill  i-s  iri 
the  same  condition  as  if  tbe  reconsideration  had  beea 
voted  on  and  lost.  These  Rules,  like  the  common  par- 
liamentary law.  carry  the  bill  to  the  table,  from  v,-hicl 
it  could  be  taken  at  any  time.  [See  note,  p.  155.)  Un- 
less there  is  a  special  rule  allowing  it.  the  two  motions 
could  not  be  made  at  the  same  time  in  an  ordinary 
society. 


158  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§36 

bate  the  merits  of  the  question  to  be  recon- 
sidered. It  cannot  be  withdrawn  after  it  is 
too  late  to  renew  the  motion.  If  the  motion 
to  reconsider  is  lost  it  cannot  be  repeated  ex- 
cept by  general  consent.  No  question  can  be 
twice  reconsidered  unless  it  was  materially 
amended  after  its  first  reconsideration.  A  re- 
consideration requires  only  a  majority  vote, 
regardless  of  the  vote  necessary  to  adopt  the 
motion  reconsidered. 

The  motion  to  reconsider  cannot  he  applied 
to  a  vote  on  a  motion  that  may  be  renewed 
within  a  reasonable  time;  or  when  practically 
the  same  result  may  be  attained  by  some  other 
parliamentary  motion ;  or  when  the  vote  has 
been  partially  executed  (except  in  case  of  the 
motion  to  limit  debate),  or  something  has  been 
done  as  the  result  of  the  vote  that  the  assem- 
bly cannot  undo ;  or  to  an  affirmative  vote  in 
the  nature  of  a  contract,  when  the  other  party 
to  the  contract  has  been  notified  of  the  vote ; 
or  to  a  vote  on  the  motion  to  reconsider.  In 
accordance  with  these  principles,  votes  on  the 
following  motions  cannot  he  reconsidered: 
Adjourn;  Take  a  Recess;  Lay  on  the  Table; 
Take  from  the  Table;  Suspend  the  Rules  or 
Order  of  Business ;  and  Reconsider.  Affirma- 
tive votes  on  the  following  cannot  be  reconsid- 
ered: Proceed  to  the  Orders  of  the  Day; 
Adopt,  or  after  they  are  adopted,  to  Amend, 
or  Repeal,  or  Rescind,  the  Constitution,  By- 
laws, or  Rules  of  Order  or  any  other  rules 


§3^]  RECONSIDER  159 

that  require  previous  notice  for  their  amend- 
ment;  E-lect  to  membership  or  office  if  the 
member  or  officer  is  present  and  does  not  de- 
cline, or  if  absent  and  has  learned  of  his  elec- 
tion in  the  usual  way  and  has  not  declined ;  to 
Reopen  Nominations.  A  negative  vote  on  the 
motion  to  Postpone  Indefinitely  cannot  be  re- 
considered as  practically  the  same  question 
comes  up  again  when  the  vote  is  taken  on  the 
main  question.  After  a  committee  has  taken 
up  the  matter  referred  to  it,  it  is  too  late  to 
reconsider  the  vote  committing  it,  though  the 
committee  may  be  discharged.  But  after  de- 
bate has  proceeded  under  an  order  limiting 
or  extending  the  limits  of  debate,  the  vote 
making  that  order  may  be  reconsidered,  as 
the  debate  may  develop  facts  that  make  it 
desirable  to  return  to  the  regular  rules  of 
debate.  The  minutes,  or  record  of  proceed- 
ings, may  be  corrected  at  any  time  without 
reconsidering  the  vote  approving  them. 

If  the  main  question  is  pending  and  it  is 
moved  to  reconsider  the  vote  on  any  subsid- 
iary [12],  incidental  [13],  or  privileged  [14] 
motion,  the  chair  states  the  question  on  the 
reconsideration  the  moment  the  motion  to  be 
reconsidered  is  in  order  if  it  were  made  then 
for  the  first  time.  Thus,  if,  while  the  motions 
to  commit,  for  the  previous  question,  and  to 
lay  on  the  table  are  pending,  it  is  moved  to 
reconsider  a  negative  vote  on  postponing  to  a 
certain  time,  the  chair  proceeds  to  take  the 


l60  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§36 

vote  on  laying  on  the  table  and,  if  that  is  lost, 
next  on  the  previous  question,  and  •  then  on 
reconsidering  the  vote  on  the  postponement, 
and  if  that  is  adopted,  then  on  the  postpone- 
ment, and  if  that  is  lost,  then  on  to  commit. 
If  the  motion  to  lay  on  the  table  had  been  car- 
ried, then  when  the  question  was  taken  from 
the  table  the  same  method  of  procedure  would 
be  followed ;  that  is,  the  question  would  be 
first  on  ordering  the  previous  question,  and 
next  on  reconsidering  the  vote  on  the  post- 
ponement, etc.  If  the  reconsideration  of  an 
amendment  of  the  first  degree  is  moved  while 
another  amendment  of  the  same  degree  is 
pending,  the  pending  amendment  is  first  dis- 
posed of  and  then  the  chair  announces  the 
question  on  the  reconsideration  of  the  amend- 
ment. If  the  reconsideration  of  an  amend- 
ment to  an  immediately  pending  question  is 
moved  the  chair  at  once  announces  the  ques- 
tion on  the  reconsideration. 

If  the  reconsideration  is  moved  while  an- 
other subject  is  before  the  assembly,  it  can- 
not interrupt  the  pending  business,  but,  as 
soon  as  that  has  been  disposed  of,  if  called  up 
it  has  the  preference  over  all  other  main  mo- 
tions and  general  orders.  In  such  a  case  the 
chair  does  not  state  the  question  on  the  recon- 
sideration until  it  is  called  up. 

If  the  motion  to  reconsider  is  made  at  a 
time  when  the  reconsideration  could  be  called 
up  if  it  had  been  previously  made,  the  chair 


§36]  RECONSIDER  l6l 

at  once  states  the  question  on  the  reconsidera- 
tion, unless  the  mover  adds  to  his  motion  the 
words,  "and  have  it  entered  on  the  minutes," 
as  explained  further  on. 

If,  after  the  vote  has  been  taken  on  the 
adoption  of  a  main  motion,  it  is  desired  to  re- 
consider the  vote  on  an  amendment,  it  is 
necessary  to  reconsider  the  vote  on  the  main 
question  also,  and  one  motion  should  be  made 
to  cover  both  votes.  The  same  principle  ap- 
plies in  case  of  an  amendment  to  an  amend- 
ment, whether  the  vote  has  been  taken  on  the 
resolution,  or  only  on  the  amendment  of  the 
first  degree.  When  the  motion  covers  the 
reconsideration  of  two  or  three  votes,  the  de- 
bate is  limited  to  the  question  that  was  first 
voted  on.  Thus,  if  the  motion  is  to  reconsider 
the  votes  on  a  resolution  and  amendments  of 
the  first  and  second  degree,  the  debate  is  lim- 
ited to  the  amendment  of  the  second  degree. 
If  the  motion  to  reconsider  is  adopted  the 
chair  states  the  question  on  the  amendment 
of  the  second  degree  and  recognizes  the  mover 
of  the  reconsideration  as  entitled  to  the  floor. 
The  question  is  now  in  exactly  the  same  con- 
dition it  was  in  just  previous  to  taking  the 
original  vote  on  that  amendment. 

The  Forms  of  making  this  motion  are  as 
follows:  'T  move  to  reconsider  the  vote  on 
the  resolution  relating  to  a  banquet."  "I  move 
to  reconsider  the  vote  on  the  amendment  to 
strike    out    'Wednesday'    and    insert   Thurs- 


l62  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§36 

day.'"  [This  form  is  used  when  the  resolu- 
tion is  still  pending.]  "I  move  to  reconsider 
the  votes  on  the  resolution  relating  to  a  ban- 
quet and  on  the  amendment  to  strike  out 
'Wednesday'  and  insert  'Thursday.' "  [This 
form  is  used  when  the  vote  has  been  taken  on 
the  resolution,  and  it  is  desired  to  reconsider 
the  vote  on  an  amendment.]  When  the  mo- 
tion to  reconsider  is  made  the  chair  states  the 
question,  if  it  can  then  be  considered,  and 
proceeds  as  with  any  other  question.  If  it 
cannot  be  considered  at  that  time,  he  says, 
"Mr.  A  moves  to  reconsider  the  vote  on.  . .  . 

The  secretary  will 

make  a  note  of  it,"  and  proceeds  with  the 
pending  business.  The  reconsideration,  after 
being  moved,  is  brought  before  the  assembly 
for  action  as  explained  in  the  previous  para- 
graph. If  it  is  called  up  by  a  member,  he 
simply  says,  after  obtaining  the  floor,  'T  call 
up  the  motion  to  reconsider  the  vote  on.  .  .  . 

"     This  call  requires 

no  second  or  vote.  If  the  call  is  in  order,  as 
previously  explained,  the  chair  says,  *'The  mo- 
tion to  reconsider  the  vote  [or  votes]  on.  . . . 

is  called  up.     The 

question  is,  'Will  the  assembly  reconsider  the 

vote  [or  votes]  on ? 

Ar^  you  ready  for  the  question?'  "  If  the  re- 
consideration is  one  that  the  chair  states  the 
question  on  as  soon  as  it  can  be  considered  (as 
when  it  is  moved  to  reconsider  an  amendment 


§  36]  RECONSIDER  163 

while  another  amendment  is  pending),  as  soon 
as  the  proper  time  arrives  the  chair  states  the 
question  on  the  reconsideration  the  same  as 
if  the  motion  to  reconsider  were  made  at  this 
time. 

When  the  debate,  if  there  is  any,  is  finished, 
he  piits  the  question  thus :  ''As  many  as  are 
in  favor  of  reconsidering  the  vote  on  the  reso- 
lution relating  to  a  banquet,  say  aye;  those 
opposed  say  no.  The  ayes  have  it  and  the 
vote  on  the  resolution  is  reconsidered.  The 
question  is  now  on  the  resolution,  which  is," 
etc.  Or,  the  question  may  be  put  thus  :  ''The 
question  is,  Will  the  assembly  reconsider  the 
votes  on  the  resolution  relating  to  a  banquet, 
and  on  the  amendment  to  strike  out  'Wednes- 
day' and  insert  'Thursday?'  As  many  as  are 
in  favor  of  the  reconsideration  say  aye;  those 
opposed  say  710.  The  ayes  have  it  and  the 
votes  on  the  resolution  and  the  amendment  are 
reconsidered.  The  question  is  now  on  the 
amendment,  which  is,"  etc.  If  the  motion  to 
reconsider  is  adopted  the  business  is  in  exactly 
the  same  condition  it  was  in  before  taking  the 
vote,  or  the  votes,  that  have  been  reconsid- 
ered, and  the  chair  instantly  states  the  ques- 
tion on  the  immediately  pending  question, 
which  is  then  open  to  debate  and  amendment 
as  before. 

The  Effect  of  Making  this  motion  is  to  sus- 
pend all  action  that  the  original  motion  would 
have    required    until    the    reconsideration    is 


164       •     RULES  OF  ORDER  [§36 

acted  upon;  but  if  it  is  not  called  up,  this 
effect  terminates  with  the  session"^  [63],  ex- 
cept in  an  assembly  having  regular  meetings 
as  often  as  quarterly,  when,  if  not  called  up, 
its  effect  does  not  terminate  till  the  close  of 
the  next  regular  session.  As  long  as  its  effect 
lasts,  any  one  at  an  adjourned,  or  a  special, 
or  a  regular  meeting,  may  call  up  the  motion 
to  reconsider  and  have  it  acted  upon,  though 
it  is  not  usual  for  any  one  but  the  mover  to 
call  it  up  on  the  day  it  is  made  if  the  session 
lasts  beyond  that  day  and  there  is  no  need  of 
prompt  action. 

The  Effect  of  the  Adoption  of  this  motion  is 
to  place  before  the  assembly  the  original  ques- 
tion in  the  exact  position  it  occupied  before 
it  was  voted  upon ;  consequently  no  one,  after 
the  reconsideration  is  adopted,  can  debate  the 
question  reconsidered  who  had  on  that  day 
exhausted  his  right  of  debate  on  that  ques- 
tion ;  his  only  recourse  is  to  discuss  the  ques- 
tion while  the  motion  to  reconsider  is  before 
the  assembly.  If  the  question  is  not  reconsid- 
ered until  a  later  day  than  that  on  which  the 
vote  to  be  reconsidered  was  taken,  then  it  is 
open  to  free  debate  regardless  of  speeches  made 
previously.  When  a  vote  taken  under  the 
operation  of  the  previous  question  is  reconsid- 
ered, the  question  is  then  divested  of  the  pre- 

*  In  Congress  the  effect  always  terminates  with  the 
session,  and  it  cannot  be  called  up  by  any  one  but  the 
mover,  until  the  expiration  of  the  time  during  which  it 
will  be  in  order  to  move  a  reconsideration. 


§  36]  RECONSIDER  165 

vious  question,  and  is  open  to  debate  and 
amendment,  provided  the  previous  question 
had  been  exhausted  by  votes  taken  on  all  the 
questions  covered  by  it,  before  the  motion  to 
reconsider  was  made. 

In  standing  and  special  committees  a  vote 
may  be  reconsidered  regardless  of  the  time 
elapsed  since  the  vote  was  taken,  provided 
the  motion  is  made  by  one  who  did  not  vote 
with  the  losing  side,  and  that  all  members 
who  voted  with  the  prevailing  side  are  pres- 
ent, or  have  received  due  notice  that  the  re- 
consideration would  be  moved  at  this  meeting. 
A  vote  cannot  be  reconsidered  in  committee 
of  the  whole. 

Reconsider  and  Have  Entered  on  the  Min- 
utes."^ The  motion  to  reconsider,  as  previ- 
ously explained  in  this  section,  provides  means 
for  correcting,  at  least  on  the  day  on  which 
it  occurred,  errors  due  to  hasty  action.  By 
using  the  same  motion  and  having  it  entered 
on  the  minutes  so  that  it  cannot  be  called  tip 
until  another  day,  a  means  is  provided  for 
preventing  a  temporary  majority  from  taking 
action  that  is.  opposed  by  the  majority  of  the 
society.  This  is  needed  in  large  societies  with 
frequent  meetings  and  small  quorums,  the  at- 


*  Tn  Congress,  where  the  quorum  is  a  majority  of  the 
members  elected,  and  the  members  are  paid  for  their 
services,  there  is  no  need  for  this  form  of  the  motion. 
On  the  contrary,  it  has  been  found  necessary  to  provide 
means  by  which  the  majority  may,  when  it  pleases,  pre- 
vent the  making  of  the  motion  to  reconsider  by  any  one 
except  the  member  in  charge  of  the  measure. 


l66  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§36 

tendance  in  many  cases  not  exceeding  ten  per 
cent  of  the  membership.  It  enables  a  society 
with  a  small  quorum  to  protect  itself  from 
injudicious  action  by  temporary  majorities, 
without  requiring  previous  notice  of  main  mo- 
tions and  amendments  as  is  done  in  the  Eng- 
lish Parliament.  To  accomplish  this,  however, 
it  is  necessary  to  allow  this  form  of  the  mo- 
tion to  be  applied  to  a  vote  finally  disposing 
of  a  main  motion,  regardless  of  the  fact  that 
the  motion  to  reconsider  has  already  been 
made.  Otherwise  it  would  be  useless,  as  it 
would  generally  be  forestalled  by  the  m^otion 
to  reconsider,  in  its  simple  form,  which  would 
be  voted  down,  and  then  this  motion  could 
not  be  made.  As  this  form  of  the  motion  is 
designed  only  to  be  used  when  the  meeting 
is  an  unrepresentative  one,  this  fact  should  be 
very  apparent,  and  some  members  of  the  tem- 
porary minority  should  vote  with  the  tempo- 
rary majority  on  adopting  or  postponing 
indefinitely  a  main  motion  of  importance,  when 
they  think  the  action  is  in  opposition  to  the 
wishes  of  the  great  majority  of  the  society. 
One  of  them  should  then  move  *'to  reconsider 
the  vote  on  the  resolution  [or  motion]  and 
have  it  [or,  request  that  it  be]  entered  on  the 
minutes,"  which  has  the  effect  of  suspending 
all  action  required  by  the  vote  it  is  proposed 
to  reconsider,  as  previously  explained,  and 
thus  gives  time  to  notify  absent  members  of 
the  proposed  action.     If  no  member  of  the 


§  36]  RECONSIDER  167 

temporary  minority  voted  with  the  majority, 
and  it  is  too  late  for  any  one  to  change  his 
vote  so  as  to  move  to  reconsider,  then  some 
one  should  give  notice  of  a  motion  to  rescind 
the  objectionable  vote  at  the  next  meeting, 
which  may  be  done  by  a  majority  vote  after 
this  notice  has  been  given. 

Should  a  minority  make  an  improper  use  of 
this  form  of  the  motion  to  reconsider  by  ap- 
plying it  to  a  vote  which  required  action  before 
the  next  regular  business  meeting,  the  remedy 
is  at  once  to  vote  that  when  the  assembly 
adjourns  it  adjourns  to  meet  on  another  day, 
appointing  a  suitable  day,  when  the  reconsid- 
eration could  be  called  up  and  disposed  of. 
The  mere  making  of  this  motion  would  prob- 
ably cause  the  withdrawal  of  the  motion  to 
reconsider,  as  it  would  defeat  the  object  of 
that  motion  if  the  majority  of  the  society  is 
in  favor  of  the  motion  to  be  reconsidered.  If 
the  motion  to  reconsider  is  withdrawn,  of 
course  the  other  would  be. 

This  form  of  the  motion  to  reconsider  and 
have  entered  on  the  minutes  differs  from  the 
simple  form  to  reconsider  in  the  following 
respects : 

(1)  It  can  be  made  only  on  the  day  the 
vote  to  be  reconsidered  is  taken.  If  a  meeting 
is  held  on  the  next  day  the  simple  form  of 
the  motion  to  reconsider,  made  then,  accom- 
phshes  the  object  of  this  motion  by  bring- 
ing the   question   before   the   assembly   on   a 


l68  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  3^ 

different  day  from  the  one  when  the  vote  was 
taken. 

(2)  It  outranks  the  simple  form  of  the  mo- 
tion to  reconsider,  and  may  be  made  even 
after  the  vote  has  been  taken  on  the  motion 
to  reconsider,  provided  the  result  of  the  vote 
has  not  been  announced.  If  made  after  the 
simple  form  of  the  motion  to  reconsider,  it 
supersedes  the  latter,  which  is  thereafter 
ignored. 

(3)  It  can  be  applied  only  to  votes  which 
finally  dispose  of  the  main  question.  They 
are  as  follows :  an  affirmative  or  negative  vote 
on  adopting,  and  an  affirmative  vote  on  post- 
poning indefinitely,  a  main  question.  And  it 
may  be  applied  to  a  negative  vote  on  the  con- 
sideration of  a  question  that  has  been  objected 
to,  provided  the  session  extends  beyond  that 
day. 

(4)  In  an  assembly  not  having  regular  busi- 
ness meetings  as  often  as  quarterly,  it  cannot 
be  moved  at  the  last  business  meeting  of  a 
session. 

(5)  It  cannot  be  called  up  on  the  day  it  is 
made,  except  when  it  is  moved  on  the  last  day 
of  a  session  of  an  assembly  not  having  regular 
business  sessions  as  often  as  quarterly,  when 
any  one  can  call  it  up  at  the  last  business 
meeting  of  the  session. 

After  it  is  called  up  there  is  no  difference 
in  the  treatment  of  the  two  forms  of  the 
motion.  -i 


§  37]  RESCIND,    REPEAL,    OR   ANNUL  169 

37.  Rescind,  Repeal,  or  Annul.  Any  vote 
taken  by  an  assembly,  except  those  mentioned 
further  on,  may  be  rescinded  by  a  majority 
vote,  provided  notice  of  the  motion  has  been 
given  at  the  previous  meeting  or  in  the  call 
for  this  meeting ;  or  it  may  be  rescinded  with- 
out notice  by  a  two-thirds  vote,  or  by  a  vote 
of  a  majority  of  the  entire  membership.  The 
notice  may  be  given  when  another  question  is 
pending,  but  cannot  interrupt  a  member  while 
speaking.  To  rescind  is  identical  with  the 
motion  to  amend  something  previously 
adopted,  by  striking  out  the  entire  by-law, 
rule,  resolution,  section,  or  paragraph,  and  is 
subject  to  all  the  limitations  as  to  notice  and 
vote  that  may  be  placed  by  the  rules  on  similar 
amendments.  It  is  a  main  motion  without  any 
privilege,  and  therefore  can  be  introduced  only 
when  there  is  nothing  else  before  the  assem- 
bly. It  cannot  be  made  if  the  question  can 
be  reached  by  calling  up  the  motion  to  recon- 
sider which  has  been  previously  made.  It 
may  be  made  by  any  member ;  it  is  debatable, 
and  yields  to  all  privileged  and  incidental  mo- 
tions;  and  all  of  the  subsidiary  motions  may 
be  applied  to  it.  The  motion  to  rescind  can 
be  applied  to  votes  on  all  main  motions,  in- 
cluding questions  of  privilege  and  orders  of 
the  day  that  have  been  acted  upon,  and  to 
votes  on  an  appeal,  with  the  following  excep- 
tions: votes  cannot  be  rescinded  after  some- 
thing has  been  done  as  a  result  of  that  vote 


170  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§37 

that  the  assembly  cannot  undo;  or  where  it 
is  in  the  nature  of  a  contract  and  the  other 
party  is  informed  of  the  fact;  or,  where  a 
resignation  has  been  acted  upon,  or  one  has 
been  elected  to,  or  expelled  from,  member- 
ship or  office,  and  was  present  or  has  been 
officially  notified.  In  the  case  of  expulsion, 
the  only  way  to  reverse  the  action  after- 
wards is  to  restore  the  person  to  member- 
ship or  office,  which  requires  the  same  pre- 
liminary steps  and  vote  as  is  required  for  an 
election. 

Where  it  is  desired  not  only  to  rescind  the 
action,  but  to  express  very  strong  disapproval, 
legislative  bodies  have,  on  rare  occasions,  voted 
to  rescind  the  objectionable  resolution  and 
expunge  it  from  the  record,  which  is  done  by 
crossing  out  the  words,  or  drawing  a  line 
around  them,  and  writing  across  them  the 
words,  "Expunged  by  order  of  the  assembly," 
etc.,  giving  the  date  of  the  order.  This  state- 
ment should  be  signed  by  the  secretary.  The 
words  expunged  must  not  be  so  blotted  as  not 
to  be  readable,  as  otherwise  it  would  be  impos- 
sible to  determine  whether  more  was  expunged 
than  ordered.  Any  vote  less  than  a  majority 
of  the  total  membership  of  an  organization  is 
certainly  incompetent  to  expunge  from  the  rec- 
ords a  correct  statement  of  what  was  done 
and  recorded  and  the  record  of  which  was 
officially  approved,  even  though  a  quorum  is 
present  and  the  vote  to  expunge  is  unanimous. 


§  38]  RENEWAL    OF    A    MOTION  I7I 

38.  Renewal  of  a  Motion.  When  an 
original  main  motion  or  an  amendment  has 
been  adopted,  or  rejected,  or  a  main  motion 
has  been  postponed  indefinitely,  or  an  objec- 
tion to  its  consideration  has  been  sustained,  it, 
or  practically  the  same  motion,  cannot  be 
again  brought  before  the  assembly  at  the  same 
session,  except  by  a  motion  to  reconsider  or 
to  rescind  the  vote.  But  it  may  be  introduced 
again  at  any  future  session. 

In  assemblies  having  regular  sessions  as 
often  at  least  as  quarterly,  a  main  motion  can- 
not be  renewed  until  after  the  close  of  the 
next  regular  session,  if  it  was  postponed  to 
that  next  session ;  or  laid  on  the  table ;  or 
adopted,  or  rejected,  or  postponed  indefinitely, 
and  the  motion  to  reconsider  was  made  and 
not  acted  on  at  the  previous  session.  In  these 
cases  the  question  can  be  reached  at  the  next 
session  at  the  time  to  which  it  was  postponed, 
or  by  taking  it  from  the  table,  or  by  reconsid- 
ering the  vote. 

In  assemblies  whose  regular  sessions  are 
not  as  frequent  as  quarterly,  any  motion  which 
has  not  been  committed  or  postponed  to  the 
next  session  may  be  renewed  at  that  next 
session.  The  motions  to  adjourn,  to  take  a 
recess,  and  to  lay  on  the  table,  may  be  made 
again  and  again,  provided  there  has  been  prog- 
ress in  debate  or  business,  but  the  making  of, 
or  voting  on,  these  motions  is  not  business 
that  justifies  the  renewal  of  a  motion.    Neither 


172  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  38 

a  motion  to  postpone  indefinitely  nor  an 
amendment  can  be  renewed  at  the  same  ses- 
sion, but  the  other  subsidiary  motions  may 
be  renewed  whenever  the  progress  in  debate 
or  business  is  such  as  to  make  the  question 
before  the  assembly  practically  a  different  one. 
To  take  from  the  table  and  a  call  for  the 
orders  of  the  day  may  be  renewed  after  the 
business  is  disposed  of  that  was  taken  up  when 
the  motion  to  take  from  the  table,  or  for  the 
orders  of  the  day,  was  lost.  To  postpone  in- 
definitely cannot  be  renewed  even  though  the 
main  motion  has  been  amended  since  the  in- 
definite postponement  was  previously  moved. 
A  point  of  order  cannot  be  raised  if  an  iden- 
tical one  has  been  raised  previously  without 
success  during  the  same  session.  And  after 
the  chair  has  been  sustained  in  a  ruling  he 
need  not  entertain  an  appeal  from  a  similar 
decision  during  the  same  session.  Minutes 
may  be  corrected  regardless  of  the  time 
elapsed  and  of  the  fact  that  the  correction  had 
been  previously  proposed  and  lost. 

When  a  subject  which  has  been  referred  to 
a  committee  is  reported  back  at  the  same  meet- 
ing, or  a  subject  that  has  been  laid  on  the  table 
is  taken  up  at  the  same  meeting,  it  is  not  a 
renewal. 

The  following  motions,  unless  they  have 
been  withdrawn,  cannot  be  renewed  at  the 
same  session :  to  adopt  or  postpone  indefinitely 
an  original  main  motion ;  to  amend ;  to  recon- 


§39]  RATIFY  173 

sider.  unless  the  question  to  be  reconsidered 
was  amended  materially  when  previously  re- 
considered;  to  object  to  the  consideration  of 
a  question ;  to  fix  the  same  time  to  which  to 
adjourn;  to  suspend  the  rules  for  the  same 
purpose  at  the  same  meeting,  though  it  may 
be  renewed  at  another  meeting  held  the  same 
day. 

It  is  the  duty  of  the  chair  to  prevent  the 
privilege  of  renewal  from  being  used  to  ob- 
struct business,  and  when  it  is  evident  that  it 
is  being  so  misused  he  should  protect  the  as- 
sembly by  refusing  to  recognize  the  motions, 
as  explained  under  Dilatory  Motions  [40]. 

39.  Ratify.  This  is  a  main  motion  and  is 
used  when  it  is  desired  to  confirm  or  make 
valid  some  action  which  requires  the  approval 
of  the  assembly  to  make  it  valid.  The  assem- 
bly may  ratify  only  such  actions  of  its  officers 
or  committees,  or  delegates,  as  it  had  the  right 
to  authorize  in  advance.  It  cannot  make 
valid  a  viva  voce  election  when  the  by-laws 
require  it  to  be  by  ballot,  nor  can  it  ratify 
anything  done  in  violation  of  the  laws  of 
the  state,  or  of  its  own  constitution  or  by- 
laws, except  that  it  may  ratify  emergency  ac- 
tion taken  at  a  meeting  when  no  quorum  was 
present,  even  though  the  quorum  is  provided 
for  in  a  by-law.  A  motion  to  ratify  may  be 
amended  by  substituting  a  motion  of  censure, 
and  vice  versa,  when  the  action  has  been  taken 
by  an  officer  or  other  representative  of  the 


174  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  40 

assembly.    It  is  debatable  and  opens  the  entire 
question  to  debate. 

40.  Dilatory,  Absurd,  or  Frivolous  Mo- 
tions. For  the  convenience  of  deliberative 
assemblies,  it  is  necessary  to  allow  some  highly 
privileged  motions  to  be  renewed  again  and 
again  after  progress  in  debate  or  the  transac- 
tion of  any  business,  and  to  allow  a  single 
member,  by  calling  for  a  division,  to  have  an- 
other vote  taken.  If  there  was  no  provision 
for  protecting  the  assembly,  a  minority  of 
two  members  could  be  constantly  raising  ques- 
tions of  order  and  appealing  from  every  de- 
cision of  the  chair,  and  calling  for  a  division 
on  every  vote,  even  when  it  was  nearly  unani- 
mous, and  moving  to  lay  motions  on  the  table, 
and  to  adjourn,  and  offering  amendments  that 
are  simply  frivolous  or  absurd.  By  taking 
advantage  of  parliamentary  forms  and  meth- 
ods a  small  minority  could  practically  stop  the 
business  of  a  deliberative  assembly  having 
short  sessions,  if  there  was  no  provision  for 
such  contingency.  Congress  met  it  by  adopt- 
ing this  rule:  "No  dilatory  motion  shall  be 
entertained  by  the  speaker."  But,  without 
adopting  any  rule  on  the  subject,  every  de- 
liberative assembly  has  the  inherent  right  to 
protect  itself  from  being  imposed  upon  by 
members  using  parliamentary  forms  to  pre- 
vent it  from  doing  the  very  thing  for  which 
it  is  in  session,  and  which  these  forms  were 
designed  to  assist,  namely,  to  transact  busi- 


§4l]  CALL  OF  THE   HOUSE  I75 

ness.  Therefore,  whenever  the  chair  is  satis- 
fied that  members  are  using  parHamentary 
forms  merely  to  obstruct  business,  he  should 
either  not  recognize  them,  or  else  rule  them 
out  of  order.  After  the  chair  has  been  sus- 
tained upon  an  appeal,  he  should  not  entertain 
another  appeal  from  the  same  obstructionists 
while  they  are  engaged  evidently  in  trying  by 
that  means  to  obstruct  business.  While  the 
chair  should  always  be  courteous  and  fair,  he 
should  be  firm  in  protecting  the  assembly  from 
imposition,  even  though  it  be  done  in  strict 
conformity  with  all  parliamentary  rules  except 
this  one,  that  no  dilatory,  absurd,  or  frivolous 
motions  are  allowed. 

As  an  illustration  of  a  frivolous  or  absurd 
motion,  suppose  Mr.  A  is  to  be  in  the  city 
next  week  and  a  motion  has  been  made  to 
invite  him  to  address  the  assembly  at  its  next 
meeting,  the  meetings  being  weekly.  Now,  if 
a  motion  is  made  to  refer  the  question  to  a 
committee  with  instructions  to  report  at  the 
next  regular  meeting,  the  chair  should  rule  it 
out  of  order  as  frivolous  or  absurd. 

41.  Call  of  the  House.*  (This  cannot  be  used 
in  ordinary  assemblies,  as  they  have  not  the  power  to 
compel  the  attendance  of  members.) 

*  In  the  early  history  of  our  Congress  a  call  of  the 
house  required  a  day's  notice,  and  in  the  English  Par- 
liament it  is  ihsual  to  order  that  the  call  shall  be  made 
on  a  certain  day  in  the  future,  usually  not  over  ten  days 
afterwards,  though  it  has  been  as  long  as  six  weeks  after- 
wards. The  object  of  this  is  to  give  notice  so  that  all 
the  members  may  be  present  on  that  day,  when  important 
business  is  to  come  before  the  house.     In  Congress  a  call 


176  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§41 

The  object  of  a  call  of  the  house  is  to  compel  the 
attendance  of  absent  members,  and  is  allowable  only 
in  assembhes  that  have  the  power  to  compel  the 
attendance  of  absentees.  It  is  usual  to  provide  in  such 
assemblies  that  when  no  quorum  is  present,  a  specified 
small  number  can  order  a  call  of  the  house.  In  Con- 
gress a  call  of  the  house  may  be  ordered  by  a  majority 
vote,  provided  one-fifth  of  the  members  elect  are 
present.  A  rule  like  the  following  would  answer  for 
city  councils  and  other  similar  bodies  that  have  the 
power  to  enforce  attendance. 

Rule.  When  no  quorum  is  present,  if  one-fifth  of 
the  members  elect  are  present,  they  may  by  a  majority 
vote  order  a  call  of  the  house  and  compel  the  attend- 
ance of  absent  members.  After  the  call  is  ordered,  a 
motion  to  adjofirn,  or  to  dispense  with  further  pro- 
ceedings in  the  call,  cannot  be  entertained  until  a 
quorum  is  present,  or  until  the  sergeant-at-arms* 
reports  that  in  his  opiniort  no  quorum  can  be  obtained 
on  that  day. 

If  no  quorum  is  present,  a  call  of  the  house  takes 
precedence  of  everything,  even  reading  the  minutes, 
except  the  motion  to  adjourn,  and  only  requires  in  its 
favor  the  number  specified  in  the  rule.  If  a  quorum  is 
present  a  call  should  rank  with  questions  of  privilege 
[19],  requiring  a  majority  vote  for  its  adoption,  and 
if  rejected  it  should  not  be  renewed  while  a  quorum 
is  present  at  that  meeting.  After  a  call  is  ordered, 
until  further  proceedings  in  the  call  are  dispensed 
with,  no  motion  is  in  order  except  to  adjourn  and  a 
motion  relating  to  the  call,  so  that  a  recess  could  not 
be  taken  by  unanimous  consent.  An  adjournment 
puts  an  end  to  all  proceedings  in  the  call,  except  that 
the  assembly  before  adjournment,  if  a  quorum  is 
present,    can    order    such    members    as    are    already 

of  the  house  is  only  used  now  when  no  quorum  is  pres- 
ent, and  as  soon  as  a  quorum  appears  it  is  usual  to 
dispense  with  further  proceedings  in  the  call,  and  this 
is  in  order  at  any  stage  of  the  proceedings.  In  Congress 
it  is  customary  afterwards  to  remit  the  fees  that  have 
been  assessed.  In  some  of  our  legislative  bodies  proceed- 
ings in  the  call  cannot  be  dispensed  with  except  a  ma- 
jority of  the  members  elect  to  vote  in  favor  of  so  doing. 
*  The  term  sergeant-at-arms  should  be  replaced  by 
"chief  of  police,'  or  the  title  of  whatever  officer  serves 
the  warrant. 


§4l]  CALL   OF   THE    HOUSE  I77 

arrested    to    make    their    excuse    at    an    adjourned 
meeting. 

Proceedings  in  a  Call  of  the  House.  When  the  call 
is  ordered  the  clerk  calls  the  roll  of  members  alpha- 
betically, noting  the  absentees ;  he  then  calls  over  again 
the  names  of  absentees,  when  excuses*  can  be  made; 
after  this  the  doors  are  locked,  no  one  being  permitted 
to  leave,  and  an  order  similar  in  form  to  the  following 
is  adopted:  "Ordered,  Th^it  the  sergeant-at-arms 
take  into  custody,  and  bring  to  the  bar  of  the  House, 
such  of  its  members  as  are  absent  without  the  leave  of 
the  House."  A  warrant  signed  by  the  presiding  officer 
and  attested  by  the  clerk,  with  a  list  of  absentees 
attached,  is  then  given  to  the  sergeant-at-arms,  who 
immediately  proceeds  to  arrest  the  absentees.  When 
he  appears  with  members  under  arrest,  he  proceeds  to 
the  chairman's  desk  (being  announced  by  the  door- 
keeper in  large  bodies),  followed  by  the  arrested 
members,  and  makes  his  return.  The  chairman  ar- 
raigns each  member  separately,  and  asks  what  excuse 
he  has  to  offer  for  being  absent  from  the  sittings  of 
the  assembly  without  its  leave.  The  member  states 
his  excuse,  and  a  motion  is  made  that  he  be  discharged 
from  custody  and  admitted  to  his  seat  either  without 
payment  of  fees  or  after  paying  his  fees.  Until  a 
member  has  paid  the  fees  assessed  against  him  he 
cannot  vote  or  be  recognized  by  the  chair  for  any 
purpose. 


Art.  VII.     Debate. 

PAGE 

42.  Debate    178 

43.  Decorum   in   Debate 180 

44.  Closing  and  Preventing  Debate 182 

45.  Principles    of    Debate    and    Undebatable 

Motions    184 


*  It  is  usual  in  Congress  to  excuse  those  who  -have 
"paired  off."  that  is,  two  members  on  opposite  sides  of 
the  pending  question  who  have  agreed  that  while  one  is 
absent  the  other  will  not  vote  on  the  question.  Pairing 
should  not  be  allowed  on  questions  requiring  a  two-thirds 
'ote. 


178  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§42 

42.  Debate.  In  1-6  are  explained  the  nec- 
essary steps  preliminary  to  debate — namely, 
that  when  no  business  is  pending  a  member 
shall  rise  and  address  the  chair  by  his  title, 
and  be  recognized  by  the  chair  as  having  ob- 
tained the  floor;  and  that  the  member  shall 
then  make  a  motion  which,  after  being  sec- 
onded, shall  be  stated  by  the  chair,  who  shall 
then  ask,  "Are  you  ready  for  the  question?" 
The  question  is  then  open  to  debate,  as  is  par- 
tially explained  in  7,  which  should  be  read  in 
connection  with  this  section.  No  member  shall 
speak  more  than  twice  during  the  same  day 
to  the  same  question  (only  once  on  an  appeal), 
nor  longer  than  ten  minutes  at  one  time,  with- 
out leave  of  the  assembly;  and  the  question 
upon  granting  the  leave  shall  be  decided  by  a 
two-thirds  vote  without  debate.*  No  member 
can  speak  a  second  time  to  a  question  as  long 
as  any  member  desires  to  speak  who  has  not 
spoken  to  the  question.  If  greater  freedom 
is  desired,  the  proper  course  is  to  go  into  com- 
mittee of  the  whole,  or  to  consider  it  infor- 
mally, either  of  which  requires  only  a  majority 
vote;  or  to  extend  the  limits  of  debate  [30], 

*  The  limit  of  time  should  vary  to  suit  circumstances, 
but  the  limit  of  two  speeches  of  ten  minutes  each  will 
usually  answer  in  ordinary  assemblies,  and,  when  desira- 
ble, by  a  two-thirds  vote  it  can  be  increased  or  dimin- 
ished as  shown  in  30.  In  the  U.  S.  House  of  Representa- 
tives no  member  can  speak  more  than  once  to  the  same 
question,  nor  longer  than  one  hour.  In  the  Senate  there 
is  no  limit  to  the  length  of  a  speech,  and  no  senator  can 
speak  more  than  twice  on  the  same  day  to  the  same  ques- 
tion without  leave  of  the  Senate,  which  question  is 
undebatable. 


§42]  DEBATE  1 79 

which  requires  a  two-thirds  vote.  So  the  de- 
bate, by  a  two-thirds  vote,  may  be  limited  to 
any  extent  desired,  as  shown  in  30.  The  mem- 
ber upon  whose  motion  the  subject  was 
brought  before  the  assembly,  is  entitled  to 
close  the  debate  with  a  speech,  if  he  has  not 
previously  exhausted  his  twenty  minutes,  but 
not  until  every  one  else  wishing  to  speak  has 
spoken.  He  cannot,  however,  avail  himself  of 
this  privilege  after  debate  has  been  closed.* 
An  amendment,  or  any  other  motion,  being 
offered,  makes  the  real  question  before  the  as- 
sembly a  different  one,  and,  in  regard  to  the 
right  to  debate,  is  treated  as  a  new  question. 
When  an  amendment  is  pending  the  debate 
miust  be  confined  to  the  merits  of  the  amend- 
ment, unless  it  is  of  such  a  nature  that  its 
decision  practically  decides  the  main  question. 
Merely  asking  a  question,  or  making  a  sug- 
gestion, is  not  considered  as  speaking.  The 
maker  of  a  motion,  though  he  can  vote  against 
it,  cannot  speak  against  his  own  motion.  [To 
close  the  debate  see  44.] 

The  right  of  members  to  debate  and.  make 
motions  cannot  be  cut  off  by  the  chair's  put- 
ting a  question  to  vote  with  such  rapidity  as 
to  prevent  the  member's  getting  the  floor  after 
the  chair  has  inquired  if  the  assembly  is  ready 
for  the  question.     Even  after  the  chair  has 

*  Formerly  the  member  who  reported  a  proposition 
from  a  committee  was  permitted  to  close  the  debate  in  the 
House  after  the  previous  question  was  ordered,  provided 
he  had  not  used  all  of  his  hour  previously. 


t8o  rules  of  order  [§43 

announced  the  vote,  if  it  is  found  that  a  mem- 
ber arose  and  addressed  the  chair  with  rea- 
sonable promptness  after  the  chair  asked,  "Are 
you  ready  for  the  question?"  he  is  then  en- 
titled to  the  floor,  and  the  question  is  in  ex- 
actly the  same  condition  it  was  before  it  was 
put  to  vote.  But  if  the  chair  gives  ample 
opportunity  for  members  to  claim  the  floor 
before  putting  the  question  and  they  do  not 
avail  themselves  of  it,  they  cannot  claim  the 
right  of  debate  after  the  voting  has  com- 
menced. 

43.  Decorum  in  Debate.  In  debate  a 
member  must  confine  himself  to  the  question 
before  the  assembly,  and  avoid  personalities. 
He  cannot  reflect  upon  any  act  of  the  assem- 
bly, unless  he  intends  to  conclude  his  remarks 
with  a  motion  to  rescind  such  action,  or  else 
while  debating  such  a  motion.  In  referring 
to  another  member,  he  should,  as  much  as 
possible,  avoid  using  his  name,  rather  refer- 
ring to  him  as  "the  member  who  spoke  last," 
or  in  some  other  way  describing  him.  The 
officers  of  the  assembly  should  always  be  re- 
ferred to  by  their  official  titles.  It  is  not  al- 
lowable to  arraign  the  motives  of  a  member, 
but  the  nature  or  consequences  of  a  measure 
may  be  condemned  in  strong  terms.  It  is 
not  the  man,  but  the  measure,  that  is  the 
subject  of  debate. 

If  one  desires  to  ask  a  question  of  the  mem- 
ber speaking,  he  should  rise,  and  without  wait- 


§43]  DECORUM    IN    DEBATE  l8l 

ing  to  be  recognized,  say,  "Mr.  Chairman,  I 
should  like  to  ask  the  gentleman  a  question." 
The  chair  then  asks  the  speaker  if  he  is  will- 
ing to  be  interrupted,  or  the  speaker  may  at 
once  consent  or  decline,  addressing,  however, 
the  chair,  through  whom  the  conversation 
must  be  carried  on,  as  members  cannot  di- 
rectly address  one  another  in  a  deliberative 
assembly.  If  the  speaker  consents  to  the  ques- 
tion, the  time  consumed  by  the  interruption 
comes  out  of  the  time  of  the  speaker. 

If  at  any  time  the  chairman  rises  to  state 
a  point  of  order,  or  give  information,  or  other- 
wise speak,  within  his  privilege,  the  member 
speaking  must  take  his  seat  till  the  chairman 
has  been  heard  first.  When  called  to  order 
by  the  chair  the  member  must  sit  down  until 
the  question  of  order  is  decided.  If  his  re- 
marks are  decided  to  be  improper,  he  cannot 
proceed,  if  any  one  objects,  without  the  leave 
of  the  assembly  expressed  by  a  vote,  upon 
which  question  no  debate  is  allowed. 

Disorderly  words  should  be  taken  down  by 
the  member  who  objects  to  them,  or  by  the 
secretary,  and  then  read  to  the  member.  If 
he  denies  them,  the  assembly  shall  decide  by 
a  vote  whether  they  are  his  words  or  not.  If 
a  member  cannot  justify  the  words  he  used, 
and  will  not  suitably  apologize  for  using  them, 
it  is  the  duty  of  the  assembly  to  act  in  the 
case.  If  the  disorderly  words  are  of  a  per- 
sonal nature,  after  each  party  has  been  heard. 


18-2  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§44 

and  before  the  assembly  proceeds  to  deliberate 
upon  the  case,  both  parties  to  the  personality 
should  retire,  it  being  a  general  rule  that  no 
member  should  be  present  in  the  assembly 
when  any  matter  relating  to  himself  is  under 
debate.  It  is  not,  however,  necessary  for  the 
member  objecting  to  the  words  to  retire  unless 
he  is  personally  involved  in  the  case.  Disor- 
derly words  to  the  presiding  officer,  or  in  re- 
spect to  the  official  acts  of  an  officer,  do  not 
involve  the  officer  so  as  to  require  him  to 
retire.  If  any  business  has  taken  place  since 
the  member  spoke,  it  is  too  late  to  take  notice 
of  any  disorderly  words  he  used. 

During  debate,  and  while  the  chairman  is 
speaking,  or  the  assembly  is  engaged  in  voting, 
no  member  is  permitted  to  disturb  the  assem- 
bly by  whispering,  or  walking  across  the  floor, 
or  in  any  other  way. 

44.  Closing  Debate  and  Preventing  De- 
bate. When  the  debate  appears  to  the 
chairman  to  be  finished,  he  should  inquire, 
"Are  you  ready  for  the  question?"  If,  after 
a  reasonable  pause,  no  one  rises  to  claim  the 
floor,  the  chair  assumes  that  no  member  wishes  ■ 
to  speak  and,  standing,  proceeds  to  put  the 
question.  Debate  is  not  closed  by  the  chair- 
man's rising  and  putting  the  question,  as  until 
both  the  affirmative  and  the  negative  are  put, 
a  member  can  rise  and  claim  the  floor,  and  re- 
open the  debate  or  make  a  motion,  provided 
he  rises  with  reasonable  promptness  after  the 


§44]     CLOSING   AND    PREVENTING   DEBATE        1 83 

chair  asks,  "Are  you  ready  for  the  question?" 
If  the  debate  is  resumed  the  question  must  be 
put  again,  both  the  affirmative  and  the  nega- 
tive. Should  this  privilege  be  abused  by  mem- 
bers not  responding  to  the  inquiry,  **Are  you 
ready  for  the  question?"  and  intentionally 
waiting  until  the  affirmative  vote  has  been 
taken  and  then  rising  and  reopening  the  de- 
bate, the  chair  should  act  as  in  case  of  dilatory 
motions  [40],  or  any  other  attempt  to  obstruct 
business,  and  protect  the  assembly  from  an- 
noyance. When  a  vote  is  taken  a  second  time, 
as  when  a  division  is  called  for,  debate  cannot 
be  resumed  except  by  general  consent. 

If  two-thirds  of  the  assembly  wish  to  close 
the  debate  without  allowing  all  the  time  de- 
sired by  others,  they  can  do  so  by  ordering 
either  the  previous  question  or  the  closing  of 
the  debate  at  a  certain  time ;  or  they  can  limit 
the  length  of  the  speeches  and  allow  each 
member  to  speak  only  once  on  each  question, 
as  fully  explained  in  29  and  30.  These  mo- 
tions require  a  two-thirds*  vote,  as  they  sus- 

*  In  the  Senate  not  even  two-thirds  of  the  members 
can  force  a  measure  to  its  passage  without  allowing 
debate,  the  Senate  rules  not  recognizing  the  above  mo- 
tions. In  the  House,  where  each  speaker  can  occupy 
the  floor  one  hour,  any  of  these  motions  to  cut  off 
debate  can  be  adopted  by  a  mere  majority,  but  practi- 
cally they  are  not  used  until  after  some  debate.  Rule 
27,  §3,  H.  K..  expressly  provides  that  forty  minutes, 
twenty  on  each  side,  shall  be  allowed  for  debate  when- 
ever the  previous  question  is  ordered  on  a  proposition  on 
which  there  has  been  no  debate,  or  when  the  rul«»s  are 
suspended.  [See  note  to  22.]  In  ordinary  societies  har- 
mony is  so  essential  that  a  two-thirds  vole  should  be 
required  to  force  the  assembly  to  a  final  vote  without 
allowing  free  debate. 


l84  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§45 

pend  the  fundamental  right  of  every  member 
of  a  deliberative  assembly  to  have  every  ques- 
tion fully  discussed  before  it  is  finally  dis- 
posed of.  A  majority  vote  may  lay  the 
question  on  the  table  and  thus  temporarily 
suspend  the  debate,  but  it  can  be  resumed  by 
taking  the  question  from  the  table  by  a  ma- 
jority vote  when  no  question  is  before  the 
assembly  [35],  at  a  time  when  business  of  this 
class,  or  unfinished  business,  or  new  business, 
is  in  order.  If  it  is  desired  to  prevent  any 
discussion  of  a  subject,  even  by  its  introducer, 
the  only  way  to  do  it  is  to  object  to  the  con- 
sideration of  the  question  [23]  before  it  is 
debated,  or  any  subsidiary  motion  is  stated.  If 
the  objection  is  sustained  by  a  two-thirds  vote, 
the  question  is  thrown  out  for  that  session. 

45.  Principles  of  Debate  and  Undebatable 
Motions.  All  main  motions  are  debatable, 
and  debate  is  allowed  or  prohibited  on  other 
motions  in  accordance  with  the  following  prin- 
ciples : 

(a)  High  privilege  is,  as  a  rule,  incompat- 
ible with  the  right  of  debate  of  the  privileged 
motion:  and,  therefore,  all  highly  privileged 
motions  are  undebatable,  except  those  relating 
to  the  privileges  of  the  assembly  or  a  mem- 
ber. Questions  of  privilege  [19]  rarely  arise, 
but  when  they  do,  they  are  likely  to  be  so 
important  that  they  must  be  allowed  to  inter- 
rupt business,  and  yet  they  cannot  generally 
be   acted   upon    intelligently    without   debate. 


§45]  PRINCIPLES    OF    DEBATE  185 

and,  therefore,  they  are  debatable.  The  same 
is  true  of  appeals  from  the  decision  of  the 
chair  which  are  debatable,  unless  they  relate 
to  indecorum,  or  to  transgression  of  the  rules 
of  speaking,  or  to  priority  of  business,  or  are 
made  while  an  undebatable  question  is  pend- 
ing ;  in  which  cases  there  is  not  sufficient  need 
of  debate  to  justify  making  them  an  exception 
to  the  rule,  and  therefore  an  appeal  under  any 
of  these  circumstances  is  undebatable. 

(b)  Motions  that  have  the  effect  of  sus- 
pending a  rule  are  not  debatable.  Conse- 
quently motions  to  suppress,  or  to  limit,  or 
to  extend  the  limits  of,  debate  are  undebat- 
able, as  they  suspend  the  ordinary  rules  of 
debate. 

{c)  Appeals  made  after  the  previous  ques- 
tion has  been  ordered  are  undebatable,  as  it 
would  be  manifestly  improper  to  permit  de- 
bate on  them  when  the  assembly  by  a  two- 
thirds  vote  has  closed  debate  on  the  pending 
question.  So  any  order  limiting  debate  on  the 
pending  question  applies  to  questions  arising 
while  the  order  is  in  force. 

{d)  To  Amend,  or  to  Px.econsider,  an  unde- 
batable question  is  undebatable,  whereas  to 
amend,  or  to  reconsider,  a  debatable  question 
is  debatable. 

{e)  A  Subsidiary  Motion  [12]  is  debatable 
to  just  the  extent  that  it  interferes  with  the 
right  of  the  assembly  to  take  up  the  original 
question    at    its    pleasure.      Illustrations:   To 


l86  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§45 

"Postpone  Indefinitely"  a  question  places  it 
out  of  the  power  of  the  assembly  to  again  take 
it  up  during  that  session,  except  by  reconsid- 
eration, and  consequently  this  motion  allows 
of  free  debate,  even  involving  the  whole  merits 
of  the  original  question.  To  "Commit"  a 
question  only  delays  the  discussion  until  the 
committee  reports,  when  it  is  open  to  free 
debate,  so  it  is  only  debatable  as  to  the  pro- 
priety of  the  commitment  and  as  to  the  in- 
structions, etc.  To  "Postpone  to  a  Certain 
Time"  prevents  the  consideration  of  the  ques- 
tion till  the  specified  time,  except  by  a  recon- 
sideration or  suspension  of  the  rules,  and 
therefore  allows  of  limited  debate  upon  the 
propriety  of  the  postponement.  To  "Lay  on 
the  Table"  leaves  the  question  so  that  the  as- 
sembly can  consider  it  at  any  time  that  that 
question  or  that  class  of  business  is  in  order, 
and  therefore  to  lay  on  the  table  should  not 
be,  and  is  not,  debatable. 

Because  a  motion  is  undebatable  it  does  not 
follow  that  while  it  is  pending  the  chair  may 
not  permit  a  question  or  an  explanation.  The 
distinction  between  debate  and  asking  ques- 
tions or  making  brief  suggestions,  should  be 
kept  clearly  in  mind,  and  when  the  latter  will 
aid  the  assembly  in  transacting  business,  the 
chair  should  permit  it  before  taking  the  vote 
on  an  undebatable  question.  He  should,  how- 
ever, remain  standing  during  the  colloquy  to 
show  that  he  has  the  floor,  and  he  should  not 


§45]  PRINCIPLES   OF   DEBATE  187 

allow  any  more  delay  in  putting  the  question 
than  he  feels  is  helpful  to  the  business. 

The  following  lists  of  motions  that  open 
the  main  question  to  debate,  and  of  those  that 
are  undebatable,  are  made  in  accordance  with 
the  above  principles : 


Motions  That  Open  the  Main  Question  to  Debate. 

Postpone  Indefinitely 34 

Reconsider  a  Debatable  Question 36 

Rescind    37 

Ratify 39 


Undebatable  Motions. 

Fix  the  Time  to  which  to  Adjourn  (when  a 

privileged  question) 16 

Adjourn    (when    unqualified    in   an    assembly 

that  has  provided  for  future  meetings) 17 

Take  a  Recess  (when  privileged) 18 

Call  for  the  Orders  of  the  Day,  and  questions 

relating  to  priority  of  business 20 

Appeal  when  made  while  an  undebatable  ques- 
tion is  pending,  or  when  simply  relating  to 
indecorum,  or  transgression  of  the  rules  of 

speaking,  or  to  priority  of  business 21 

Suspension  of  the  Rules 22 

Objection  to  the  Consideration  of  a  Question.  23 
Incidental  Motions,  except  an  Appeal  as  shown 

above  in  this  list  under  Appeal 13 

Lay  on  the  Table 28 

Previous  Question  [29]  and  Motiors  to  Close, 

Limit,  or  Extend  the  Limits  of  I  cbate 30 

Amend  an  Undebatable  Motion 33 

Reconsider  an  Undebatable  Motion 36 


l88  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  46 

Art.  VIII.     Vote. 

PAGE 

46.  Voting    188 

47.  Votes    that   are    Null   and    Void    even    if 

Unanimous    201 

48.  Motions  requiring  more  than  a  majority 

vote    202 

46.  Voting.  If  the  question  is  undebat- 
able,  or  debate  has  been  closed  by  order  of 
the  assembly,  the  chair,  immediately  after 
stating  the  question,  puts  it  to  vote  as  de- 
scribed under  Putting  the  Question  [9],  only 
allowing  time  for  members  to  rise  if  they 
wish  to  make  a  motion  of  higher  rank. 

If  the  question  is  debatable  and  no  one 
rises  to  claim  the  floor,  after  the  question  is 
stated  by  the  chair,  he  should  inquire,  "Are 
you  ready  for  the  question?"  After  a  mo- 
ment's pause,  if  no  one  rises,  he  should  put 
the  question  to  vote.  If  the  question  is  de- 
bated or  motions  are  made,  the  chair  should 
wait  until  the  debate  has  apparently  ceased, 
when  he  should  again  inquire,  "Are  you  ready 
for  the  question?"  Having  given  ample  time 
for  any  one  to  rise  and  claim  the  floor,  and 
no  one  having  done  so,  he  should  put  the 
question  to  vote  and  announce  the  result. 

The  usual  method  of  taking  a  vote  is  viva 
voce  (by  the  voice).  The  rules  require  this 
method  to  be  used  in  Congress.  In  small 
assemblies  the  vote  is  often  taken  by  ''show 
of  hands,"  or  by  "raising  the  right  hand"  as 


§  46]  VOTING  189 

it  is  also  called.  The  other  methods  of  voting 
are  by  rising ;  by  ballot ;  by  roll  call,  or  *'yeas 
and  nays,"  as  it  is  also  called ;  by  general  con- 
sent ;  and  by  mail.  In  voting  by  any  of  the 
first  three  methods,  the  affirmative  answer  aye, 
or  raise  the  right  hand,  or  rise,  as  the  case 
may  be :  then  the  negative  answer  no,  or  raise 
the  right  hand,  or  rise. 

The  responsibility  of  announcing,  or  declar- 
ing, the  vote  rests  upon  the  chair,  and  he, 
therefore,  has  the  right  to  have  the  vote  taken 
again,  by  rising,  if  he  is  in  doubt  as  to  the 
result,  and  even  to  have  the  vote  counted,  if 
necessary.  He  cannot  have  the  vote  taken  by 
ballot  or  by  yeas  and  nays  (roll  call)  unless 
it  is  required  by  the  rules  or  by  a  vote  of  the 
assembly.  But  if  the  viva  voce  vote  does  not 
make  him  positive  as  to  the  result  he  may  at 
once  say,  "Those  in  favor  of  the  motion  will 
rise ;"  and  when  they  are  seated  he  will  con- 
tinue, "Those  opposed  will  rise.''  If  this  does 
not  enable  him  to  determine  the  vote,  he 
should  say,  "Those  in  favor  of  the  motion  [or,' 
Those  in  the  affirmative]  will  rise  and  stand 
until  counted."  He  then  counts  those  stand- 
ing, or  directs  the  secretary  to  do  so,  and  then 
says,  "Be  seated.  Those  opposed  [or.  Those 
in  the  negative]  rise  and  stand  until  counted." 
After  both  sides  are  counted  the  chair  an- 
nounces the  result  as  shown  below.  In  a  very 
large  assembly  the  chair  may  find  it  necessary 
to  appoint  tellers  to  count  the  vote  and  report 


190  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  46 

to  him  the  numbers.  In  small  assemblies  a 
show  of  hands  may  be  substituted  for  a  rising 
vote. 

When  the  vote  is  taken  by  voice  or  show  of 
hands  any  member  has  a  right  to  require  a 
division  of  the  assembly  [25]  by  having  the 
affirmative  rise  and  then  the  negative,  so  that 
all  may  see  how  members  vote.  Either  before 
or  after  a  decision  any  member  may  call  for, 
or  demand,  a  count,  and,  if  seconded,  the  chair 
must  put  the  question  on  ordering  a  count.  In 
organizations  where  it  is  desired  to  allow  less 
than  a  majority  vote  to  order  a  count  or 
tellers,  a  special  rule  should  be  adopted  speci- 
fying the  necessary  vote.  Where  no  rule  has 
been  adopted  a  majority  vote  is  required  to 
order  a  count,  or  that  the  vote  be  taken  by 
ballot  or  by  yeas  and  nays  (roll  call). 

Announcing  the  Vote.  When  the  vote  has 
been  taken  so  that  the  chair  has  no  doubt  as 
to  the  result,  and  no  division  is  called  for, 
or,  if  so,  the  assembly  has  divided,  the  chair 
proceeds  to  announce,  or  declare  the  vote  thus : 
"The  ayes  have  it  and  the  resolution  is 
adopted."  If  he  is  not  very  positive,  he  may 
say,  ''The  ayes  seem  to  have  it,"  and,  if  no  one 
says  he  doubts  the  vote  or  calls  for  a  division, 
after  a  slight  pause  he  adds,  "The  ayes  have 
it,"  etc.  If  the  vote  was  by  show  of  hands 
or  by  rising,  it  would  be  announced  thus : 
"The  affirmative  has  it  (or,  the  motion  is 
carried)  and  the  question  is  laid  on  the  table ;" 


§  4^]  VOTING  191 

or  if  there  was  a  count,  the  vote  would  be  an- 
nounced thus:  "There  are  95  votes  in  the 
affirmative,  and  99  in  the  negative,  so  the 
amendment  is  lost,  and  the  question  is  now  on 
the  resolution ;  are  you  ready  for  the  ques- 
tion ?"  In  announcing  a  vote  the  chair  should 
state  .first  whether  the  motion  is  carried  or 
lost;  second,  what  is  the  efifect,  or  result,  of 
the  vote;  and  third,  what  is  the  immediately 
pending  question  or  business,  if  there  is  any. 
If  there  is  none,  he  should  ask,  "What  is  the 
further  pleasure  of  the  assembly?"  One  of 
the  most  prolific  causes  of  confusion  in  de- 
liberative assemblies  is  the  neglect  of  the  chair 
to  keep  the  assembly  well  informed  as  to  what 
is  the  pending  business.  The  habit  of  an- 
nouncing the  vote  by  simply  saying  that  the 
"motion  is  carried"  and  then  sitting  down, 
cannot  be  too  strongly  condemned.  Many 
members  may  not  know  what  is  the  effect  of 
the  vote,  and  it  is  the  chair's  duty  to  inform 
the  assembly  what  is  the  result  of  the  motion's 
being  carried  or  lost,  and  what  business  conies 
next  before  the  assembly. 

When  a  quorum  [64]  is  present,  a  majority 
vote,  that  is  a  majority  of  the  votes  cast,  ig- 
noring blanks,  is  sufficient  for  the  adoption  of 
any  motion  that  is  in  order,  except  those  men- 
tioned in  48,  which  require  a  two-thirds  vote. 
A  plurality  never  adopts  a  motion  nor  elects 
any  one  to  office,  unless  by  virtue  of  a  special 
rule  previously  adopted.     On  a  tie  vote  the 


192  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  46 

motion  is  lost,  and  the  chair,  if  a  member  of 
the  assembly,  may  vote  to  make  it  a  tic  unless 
the  vote  is  by  ballot.  The  chair  cannot,  how- 
ever, vote  twice,  first  to  make  a  tie  and  then 
give  the  casting  vote.  In  case  of  an  appeal 
[21],  though  the  question  is,  "Shall  the  deci- 
sion of  the  chair  stand  as  the  judgment  of  the 
assembly?"  a  tie  vote,  even  though  his  vote 
made  it  a  tie,  sustains  the  chair,  upon  the  prin- 
ciple that  the  decision  of  the  chair  can  be  re- 
versed only  by  a  majority,  including  the  chair 
if  a  member  of  the  assembly. 

It  is  a  general  rule  that  no  one  can  vote  on 
a  question  in  which  he  has  a  direct  personal  or 
pecuniary  interest.  Yet  this  does  not  prevent 
a  member  from  voting  for  himself  for  any 
office  or  other  position,  as  voting  for  a  dele- 
gate or  for  a  member  of  a  committee ;  nor 
from  voting  when  other  members  are  included 
with  him  in  the  motion,  even  though  he  has  a 
personal  or  pecuniary  interest  in  the  result, 
as  voting  on  charges  preferred  against  more 
than  one  person  at  a  time,  or  on  a  resolution 
to  increase  the  salaries  of  all  the  members. 
If  a  member  could  in  no  case  vote  on  a  ques- 
tion affecting  himself,  it  would  be  impossible 
for  a  society  to  vote  to  hold  a  banquet,  or  for 
a  legislature  to  vote  salaries  to  members,  or 
for  the  majority  to  prevent  a  small  minority 
from  preferring  charges  against  them  and  sus- 
pending or  expelling  them.  By  simply  includ- 
ing the  names  of  all  the  members,  except  those 


I 


§  46]  VOTING  193 

of  their  own  faction,  in  a  resolution  preferring 
charges  against  them,  the  minority  could  get 
all  the  power  in  their  own  hands,  were  it  not 
for  the  fact  that  in  such  a  case  all  the  mem- 
bers are  entitled  to  vote  regardless  of  their 
personal  interest.  A  sense  of  delicacy  usually 
prevents  a  member  from  exercising  this  right 
of  voting  in  matters  afiPecting  himself  except 
where  his  vote  might  affect  the  result.  After 
charges  are  preferred  against  a  member,  and 
the  assembly  has  ordered  him  to  appear  for 
trial,  he  is  theoretically  under  arrest,  and  is 
deprived  of  all  rights  of  membership  and 
therefore  cannot  vote  until  his  case  is  dis- 
posed of. 

A  member  has  the  right  to  change  his  vote 
up  to  the  time  the  vote  is  finally  announced. 
After  that,  he  can  make  the  change  only  by 
permission  of  the  assembly,  which  may  be 
given  by  general  consent ;  that  is,  by  no  mem- 
ber's objecting  when  the  chair  inquires  if 
any  one  objects.  If  objection  is  made,  a  mo- 
tion may  be  made  to  grant  the  permission, 
which  motion  is  undebatable. 

While  it  is  the  duty  of  every  member  who 
has  an  opinion  on  the  question  to  express  it  by 
his  vote,  yet  he  cannot  be  compelled  to  do  so. 
He  may  prefer  to  abstain  from  voting,  though 
he  knows  the  efifect  is  the  same  as  if  he  voted 
on  the  prevailing  side. 

Voting  by  Ballot.  The  main  object  of  this 
form  of  voting  is  secrecy,  and  it  is  resorted  to 


194  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  46 

when  the  question  is  of  such  a  nature  that 
some  members  might  hesitate  to  vote  publicly 
their  true  sentiments.  Its  special  use  is  in  the 
reception  of  members,  elections,  and  trials  of 
members  and  officers,  as  well  as  in  the  pre- 
liminary steps  in  both  cases,  and  the  by-laws 
should  require  the  vote  to  be  by  ballot  in  such 
cases.  Where  the  by-laws  do  not  require  the 
vote  to  be  by  ballot,  it  can  be  so  ordered  by 
a  majority  vote,  or  by  general  consent.  Such 
motions  are  undebatable.  Voting  by  ballot  is 
rarely,  if  ever,  used  in  legislative  bodies,  but 
in  ordinary  societies,  especially  secret  ones,  it 
is  habitually  used  in  connection  wath  elections 
and  trials,  and  sometimes  for  the  selection  of 
the  next  place  for  the  meeting  of  a  convention. 
As  the  usual  object  of  the  ballot  is  secrecy, 
where  the  by-laws  require  the  vote  to  be  taken 
by  ballot  any  motion  is  out  of  order  which 
members  cannot  oppose  without  exposing  their 
views  on  the  question  to  be  decided  by  ballot. 
Thus,  it  is  out  of  order  to  move  that  one  per- 
son cast  the  ballot  of  the  assembly  for  a  cer- 
tain person  when  the  by-laws  require  the  vote 
to  be  by  ballot.  So,  when  the  ballot  is  not 
unanimous  it  is  out  of  order  to  move  to  make 
the  vote  unanimous,  unless  the  motion  is  voted 
on  by  ballot  so  as  to  allow  members  to  vote 
against  it  in  secrecy. 

In  some  cases  black  balls  and  white  ones  and  a  ballot 
box  are  provided  for  voting,  where  the  question  can  be 
answered  yes  or  no.  The  white  ball  answers  yes,  and 
the  black  one  no.    But  in  ordinary  deliberative  assem- 


§  46]  VOTING  195 

blies  the  ballots  are  strips  of  paper  upon  which  are 
printed,  or  written,  yes  or  no,  or  the  names  of  the 
candidates,  as  the  case  may  be.  These  ballots  are  first 
distributed  and  are  afterwards  collected  by  tellers, 
either  by  being  dropped  into  a  hat  or  box  by  the 
members,  who  remain  in  their  seats;  or  by  the  mem- 
bers coming  to  the  ballot  box  and  handing  their  folded 
ballot  to  a  teller,  who  deposits  it  in  the  ballot  box.  In 
the  latter  case  it  is  necessary  for  the  tellers  to  see  that 
no  member  votes  twice,  which  in  large  societies  can  be 
best  done  by  checking  off  the  names  from  a  list  of 
members  as  the  ballots  are  deposited.  The  ballots 
should  usually  be  folded  so  that  if  more  than  one  is 
voted  by  the  same  person  the  tellers  will  detect  it  in 
unfolding  the  ballot.  In  satisfying  themselves  that 
only  one  ballot  is  voted,  the  vote  may  be  exposed  if 
the  ballot  is  not  folded. 

When  every  one  appears  to  have  voted,  the  chair 
inquires.  "Have  all  voted  w^ho  wish  to?"  and  if  there 
is  no  response  he  says,  "The  polls  are  closed,"  where- 
upon the  tellers  proceed  to  count  the  ballots.  If  in 
unfolding  the  ballots  it  is  found  that  two  have  been 
folded  together,  both  are  rejected  as  fraudulent.  A 
blank  piece  of  paper  is  not  counted  as  a  ballot  and 
would  not  cause  the  rejection  of  the  ballot  with  which 
it  was  folded.  All  blanks  are  ignored  as  simply  waste 
paper,  and  are  not  reported,  the  members  who  do  not 
wish  to  vote  adopting  this  method  of  concealing  the 
fact.  Small  technical  errors,  like  the  misspelling  of  a 
word,  should  not  be  noticed  if  the  meaning  of  the 
ballot  is  clear.  For  instance,  if  at  the  trial  of  a  mem- 
ber a  ballot  was  written  "gilty,"  every  one  knows  what 
was  intended.  In  all  cases  where  the  name  on  the 
ballot  sounds  like  the  name  of  one  of  the  candidates 
it  should  be  so  credited.  If  a  ballot  is  written  "Jo'  ^- 
son."  or  "Johnston,"  or  "Johnstone,"  it  should  be 
credited  to  the  candidate  whose  name  is  one  of  these : 
but  if  there  are  two  candidates  with  these  names  and 
no  eligible  member  with  the  name  on  the  ballot,  it 
must  be  rejected  as  illegal,  or  reported  to  the  chair, 
who  will  at  once  submit  the  question  to  the  assembly 
as  to  whom  the  ballot  should  be  credited.  If  these 
doubtful  ballots  will  not  affect  the  result,  the  tellers 
may  make  their  full  report  without  asking  for  instruc- 


196  RULES    OF   ORDER  [§46 

tions  in  regard  to  them,  placing  these  doubtful  votes 
opposite  the  exact  name  as  written  on  the  ballot. 
Votes  for  ineligible  persons  and  fraudulent  votes 
should  be  reported  under  the  heading  of  "Illegal 
Votes,"  after  the  legal  votes.  When  two  or  three 
filled-out  ballots  are  folded  together  they  are  counted 
as  one  fraudulent  vote.  The  names  of  the  candidates 
should  be  arranged  in  order,  the  one  receiving  the 
highest  number  of  legal  votes  being  first.  In  reporting 
the  number  of  votes  cast  and  the  number  necessary  for 
election,  all  votes  except  blanks  must  be  counted. 
Suppose  the  tellers  find  100  ballot  papers,  4  of  which 
are  blank.  1  contains  two  filled-out  ones  folded  to- 
gether, and  50  are  cast  for  a  person  who  is  ineligible 
because  of  having  held  the  office  as  long  as  permitted 
by  the  constitution:  the  tellers'  report  should  be  in 
this  form : 

Number  of  votes  cast 96 

Necessary  for  election 49 

Mr.  A  received 37 

Mr.  B  received 8 


Illegal  Votes. 

Mr.  C  (ineligible)  received 50 

One  ballot  containing  two  for  Mr.  D,  folded 
together,  rejected  as  fraudulent 1 

The  teller  first  named,  standing,  addresses  the  chair, 
reads  the  report  and  hands  it  to  the  chairman,  and 
takes  his  seat,  without  saying  who  is  elected.  The 
chairman  again  reads  the  report  of  the  tellers  and 
declares  who  is  elected.  In  the  case  just  given  he 
says  there  is  no  election,  stating  the  reason.  If  no 
one  is  elected,  it  is  necessary  to  ballot  again,  and  to 
continue  balloting  until  there  is  an  election.  The 
chairman  should  always  vote  in  case  of  a  ballot. 
Should  he  fail  to  do  so  before  the  polls  are  closed,  he 
cannot  then  do  it  without  the  permission  of  the  assem- 
bly. When  the  tellers  report,  they  should  hand  the 
ballots  to  the  secretary,  who  should  retain  them  until 
it  is  certain  that  the  assembly  will  not  order  a  recount, 
which  is  within  its  power  to  do  by  a  majority  vote. 


§  46 J  VOTING  197 

Yeas  and  Nays*  or  Roll  Call.  When  a  vote 
has  been  ordered  to  be  taken  by  yeas  and  nays 
[see  25  for  the  motion]  the  chair  puts  the  ques- 
tion in  a  form  similar  to  this :  "As  many  as 
are  in  favor  of  the  adoption  of  these  reso- 
lutions will,  as  their  names  are  called,  answer 
yes  [or  yea]  ;  those  opposed  will  answer  no 
[or  nay]."  The  chairman  then  directs  the  clerk 
to  call  the  roll.  The  negative  being  put  at 
the  same  time  as  the  affirmative,  it  is  too  late, 
after  one  person  has  answered  to  the  roll  call, 
to  renew  the  debate.  The  clerk  calls  the  roll, 
and  each  member,  as  his  name  is  called,  rises 
and  answers  "yes"  or  "no,"  or  "present"  if  he 
does  not  wish  to  vote,  and  the  clerk  notes  the 
answers  in  separate  columns.  Upon  the  com- 
pletion of  the  roll  call  the  clerk  reads  the 
names  of  those  who  answered  in  the  affirma- 
tive, and  afterwards  those  in  the  negative,  and 
then  those  who  answered  "present,"  that  mis- 

*  Taking  a  vote  by  yeas  and  nays,  which  has  the 
eCfect  to  place  on  the  record  how  each  member  votes,  is 
peculiar  to  this  country,  and,  while  it  consumes  a  great 
deal  of  time,  is  rarely  useful  in  ordinary  societies.  While 
it  can  never  be  used  to  hinder  business,  as  long  as  the 
above  rule  is  observed,  it  should  not  be  used  at  all  in  a 
mass  meeting,  or  in  any  other  assembly  whose  members 
are  not  responsible  to  a  constituency.  By  the  Constitu- 
tion, one-fifth  of  the  members  present  can.  in  either 
house  of  Congress,  order  a  vote  to  be  taken  by  yeas  and 
nays.  In  representative  bodies  this  method  of  voting  is 
very  useful,  especiallv  where  the  proceedings  are  pub- 
lished, as  it  enables  the  people  to  know  how  their  repre- 
sentatives voted  on  important  measures.  If  there  is  no 
legal  or  constitutional  provision  for  the  yeas  and  nays 
being  ordered  bv  a  minority  in  a  re|>reseiitative  Ijody, 
they  should  adopt  a  rule  allowing  the  yeas  and  nays  to 
be  ordered  bv  a  one-fifth  vote,  as  in  Congress,  or  even 
by  a  much  smaller  number.  In  some  small  bodies  a 
vote  on  a  resolution  must  be  taken  by  yeas  and  nays, 
upon  the  demand  of  a  single  member. 


198  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§46 

takes  may  be  corrected ;  he  then  gives  the  num- 
ber voting  on  each  side  to  the  chairman,  who 
announces  the  result.  An  entry  must  be  made 
in  the  minutes  of  the  names  of  all  voting  in 
the  affirmative,  and  also  of  those  in  the  nega- 
tive, and  those  who  answered  "present."  A 
convenient  method  of  noting  the  answers  at 
the  roll  call  is  to  write  the  figure  1  on  the  left 
of  the  name  of  the  first  member  answering  in 
the  affirmative,  the  figure  2  to  the  left  of  the 
second  name  in  the  affirmative,  and  so  on. 
The  negative  answers  are  treated  similarly, 
being  entered  on  the  right  of  the  names,  and 
those  answering  ''present"  should  be  entered 
similarly  in  a  third  column.  In  this  way  the 
last  figures  on  each  side  at  any  time  show  how 
the  vote  stands  at  that  time.  The  yeas  and 
nays  cannot  be  ordered  in  committee  of  the 
whole. 

General  Consent.  Business  can  be  expedited 
greatly  by  avoiding  the  formality  of  motions 
and  voting  in  routine  business  and  on  questions 
of  little  importance,  the  chair  assuming  gen- 
eral (unanimous)  consent  until  some  one  ob- 
jects. It  does  not  necessarily  mean  that  every 
member  is  in  favor  of  the  motion,  but,  that 
knowing  it  is  useless  to  oppose  it,  or  even  to 
discuss  it,  the  opposition  simply  acquiesces 
in  the  informality.  Thus,  in  the  case  of  ap- 
proving the  minutes,  the  chair  inquires  if  there 
are  any  corrections,  and,  if  one  is  suggested, 
it  is  made:  when  no  correction  [or  no  further 


§  46]  VOTING  199 

correction]  is  suggested,  the  chair  says: 
"There  being  no  corrections  [or  no  further 
corrections]  the  minutes  stand  approved." 
While  routine  and  minor  matters  can  be 
rapidly  disposed  of  in  this  way,  if  at  any  time 
objection  is  made  with  reasonable  promptness, 
the  chair  ignores  what  has  been  done  in  that 
case  even  if  he  has  announced  the  result,  and 
requires  a  regular  vote.     [See  also  page  202.] 

Absentee  Voting.  In  a  strictly  deliberative  assem- 
bly no  member  can  vote  who  is  not  present  when  the 
question  is  completely  put.  But  in  many  societies  the 
membership  is  scattered  all  over  a  state,  or  even  still 
wider,  and  it  has  been  found  expedient  to  provide  a 
method  of  voting  that  will  enable  all  the  members  to 
vote  upon  certain  matters,  as  upon  amendments  to 
constitutions,  by-laws,  and  in  elections  of  officers. 
This  provision,  when  it  is  deemed  advisable  to  adopt 
it.  should  be  placed  in  the  constitution  or  by-laws,  as 
otherwise,  unless  the  charter  or  state  laws  authorize 
absentee  voting,  no  member  can  vote  except  in  person. 
There  are  two  forms  of  absentee  voting — by  mail,  and 
proxy  voting. 

Voting  by  Mail  is  used  for  election  of  officers,  and 
for  amendments  to  the  constitution  or  by-laws,  and  for 
such  other  important  matters  as  the  society  may  order 
to  be  voted  on  in  this  way.  If  an  amendment  to  the 
by-laws  is  to  be  voted  on  by  mail,  a  printed  copy  of 
the  proposed  amendment  is  mailed  to  every  member, 
with  the  words  "yes"  and  "no''  printed  underneath,  or 
on  a  separate  slip,  with  directions  to  cross  out  one  of 
them,  and  return  in  the  enclosed  envelope,  upon  which 
should  be  printed  the  words,  "Ballot  for  Amendment 
to  Constitution."  This  envelope  should  usually  have 
the  signature  of  the  voter  on  it,  and  be  sealed  and  en- 
closed in  another  one  addressed  to  the  secretary,  or  to 
the  chairman  of  the  tellers,  so  that  the  inner  envelope 
will  not  be  opened  except  by  the  tellers  when  the  votes 
are  counted.  If  it  is  desired  to  present  the  arguments 
pro  and  con,  the  society  can  allow  the  leaders  on  the 


200 


RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  4^ 


two  sides  to  prepare  brief  statements  to  be  printed 
and  mailed  with  the  proposed  amendment  to  every 
member.  Instead  of  having  the  voter's  signature  on 
the  inner  envelope,  it  may  be  placed  on  the  ballot,  but 
a  place  for  the  signature  should  be  indicated,  so  that 
there  may  be  some  means  of  protection  against  votes 
being  cast  by  other  than  legal  voters.  Voting  by  mail 
cannot  be  a  secret  ballot,  as  it  is  necessary  for  the 
tellers  to  know  by  whom  each  vote  is  cast.  By  some 
such  method  as  the  above  it  is  practicable  to  give  all 
the  members,  however  scattered  they  may  be,  an 
opportunity  to  vote  on  questions  of  great  importance. 
Proxy  Voting.  A  proxy  is  a  power  of  attorney 
given  by  one  person  to  another  to  vote  in  his  stead, 
and  it  is  also  used  to  designate  the  person  who  holds 
the  power  of  attorney.  It  is  unknown  to  a  strictly 
deliberative  assembly,  and  is  in  conflict  with  the  idea 
of  the  equality  of  members,  which  is  a  fundamental 
principle  of  deliberative  assemblies.  There  can  be  but 
little  use  for  debate  where  one  member  has  more  votes 
than  another,  possibly  more  than  all  the  others  com- 
bined. If  the  proxy  voting  is  limited  to  the  election 
of  a  board  of  directors,  as  it  is  practically  in  stock 
corporations,  and  if,  also,  the  proxies  must  be  given 
to  members  of  the  corporation  in  all  cases  where  it 
requires  an  election  to  become  a  member — with  these 
two  limitations  proxy  voting  would  be  useful  and  do 
no  harm.  In  stock  companies  the  members  meet  only 
annually  to  elect  directors,  who  elect  the  officers  and 
transact  the  business  of  the  corporation.  Though  the 
directors  are  elected  largely  by  proxies,  their  own 
meetings,  where  all  the  business  is  done,  are  as  secret 
as  they  choose  to  make  them,  no  proxies  being  allowed 
in  them,  and  therefore  proxy  voting  does  not  interfere 
with  their  business.  As  any  one  can  dispose  of  his 
stock  to  any  one  else,  there  is  no  objection  to  his 
appointing  any  one  as  his  proxy.  But  the  case  is  very 
different  with  many  incorporated  societies  of  a  social, 
benevolent,  or  religious  character,  whose  business 
meetings  are  sometimes  secret.  Their  membership 
cannot  be  transferred  by  the  members  like  stock,  and 
therefore  they  should  not  be  allowed  to  appoint  any 
proxies  who  are  not  members  of  the  organization. 
The  state  law  is  above  the  by-laws  of  the  society,  and  if 


§  4/]  VOTES    THAT    ARE    NULL  201 

the  state  law  empowers  members  of  all  corporations  to 
appoint  proxies  to  vote  at  all  business  meetings,  no 
by-laws  of  an  incorporated  secret  society  could  prevent 
non-members  holding  proxies  from  attending  and 
voting  at  all  business  meetings  of  the  society.  This 
should  not  be  the  case.  With  stock  corporations  it 
does  no  harm,  because  all  the  business  is  done  by 
directors,  and  no  proxies  are  allowed  in  their  meet- 
ings, and  no  one  can  be  present  without  their  consent. 
But  in  many  societies  of  the  kind  mentioned  the  busi- 
ness is  transacted  in  meetings  attended  by  none  but 
members,  and  unlimited  proxies  would  be  a  serious 
interference  with  their  work.  If  the  state  law  requires 
proxy  voting  in  all  corporations,  it  should  be  limited 
to  the  election  of  officers,  including  directors,  and  also 
the  proxies  should  be  required  to  be  held  by  members 
of  the  corporation  in  all  organizations  whose  primary 
object  is  not  pecuniary  profit. 

47.  Votes  that  are  Null  and  Void  even  if 
Unanimous.  No  motion  is  in  order  that  con- 
flicts v/ith  the  laws  of  the  nation,  or  state,  or 
with  the  assembly's  constitution  or  by-laws, 
and  if  such  a  motion  is  adopted,  even  by  a 
unanimous  vote,  it  is  null  and  void.  No  rule 
that  conflicts  with  a  rule  of  a  higher  order  is 
of  any  authority ;  thus,  a  by-law  providing  for 
the  suspension  by  general  consent  of  an  article 
of  the  constitution  would  be  null  and  void ;  so, 
the  general  parliamentary  rule  allowing  a  two- 
thirds  vote  to  amend  the  by-laws  after  due 
notice,  is  only  in  force  when  the  by-laws  are 
silent  on  the  subject.  Rules  that  protect  ab- 
sentees cannot  be  suspended  informally  by 
general  consent,  or  formally  by  a  unanimous 
vote,  as  the  absentees  have  not  given  their  con- 
sent.    For  instance,  a  rule  requiring  the  giv- 


202  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§48 

ing  of  a  specified  notice  of  certain  motions, 
as  an  amendment  of  the  by-laws,  cannot  be 
suspended  by  general  consent  or  by  a  unani- 
mous vote.  When  a  vote  is  required  to  be 
taken  by  ballot,  the  object  is  to  enable  mem- 
bers to  conceal  their  votes,  and  any  motion 
that  defeats  this  object  is  out  of  order.  Thus, 
when  the  rules  require  the  vote  to  be  by  ballot, 
as  is  usual  in  elections  to  office  or  membership, 
this  rule  cannot  be  suspended  even  by  general 
consent,  because  no  one  can  object  without 
exposing  his  vote,  which  he  cannot  be  com- 
pelled to  do.  When  the  election  must  be  by 
ballot,  a  motion  to  have  the  ballot  cast  by  one 
person  is  out  of  order.  So,  when  the  rules  re- 
quire the  vote  to  be  by  ballot,  a  motion  to  make 
unanimous  a  vote  that  was  not  unanimous, 
must  be  voted  on  by  ballot,  as  otherwise  the 
vote  would  not  be  secret. 

48.  Motions  requiring  more  than  a  Ma- 
jority Vote.  Majority  Vote.  Any  legiti- 
mate motion  not  included  among  those  men- 
tioned below  as  requiring  more  than  a  ma- 
jority vote,  requires  for  its  adoption  only  a 
majority;  that  is,  more  than  half  of  the  votes 
cast,  ignoring  blanks,  at  a  legal  meeting  where 
a  quorum  is  present,  unless  a  larger  vote  for 
its  adoption  is  required  by  the  rules  of  the 
assembly. 

General  Consent  or  Unanimous  Vote.  By 
general,  or  unanimous,  or  silent,  consent  the 
assembly  can  do  business  with  little  regard  for 


§48]  MORE  THAN    A    MAJORITY  VOTE  203 

the  rules  of  procedure,  as  they  are  made  for 
the  protection  of  the  minority,  and  when  there 
is  no  minority  to  protect,  there  is  little  use  for 
the  restraint  of  the  rules,  except  such  as  pro- 
tect the  rights  of  absent  members,  or  the  right 
to  a  secret  vote.  In  the  former  case  the  con- 
sent of  the  absentees  cannot  be  given,  and  in 
the  latter  case  the  consent  cannot  be  withheld 
by  the  minority  without  exposing  their  votes, 
which  they  cannot  be  compelled  to  do.  When 
the  election  is  not  by  ballot  and  there  are  sev- 
eral candidates  one  of  whom  receives  a  ma- 
jority vote,  sometimes  a  motion  is  made  to 
make  the  vote  unanimous.  It  should  never  be 
made  except  by  the  candidate  with  the  largest 
number  of  votes  after  the  successful  one,  or 
his  representative,  and  even  then  its  propriety 
is  doubtful.  One  negative  vote  defeats  a 
motion  to  make  a  vote  unanimous,  as  a 
single  objection  defeats  a  request  for  general 
consent. 

By  the  legitimate  use  of  the  principle  that 
the  rules  are  designed  for  the  protection  of  the 
minority,  and  generally  need  not  be  strictly 
enforced  when  there  is  no  minority  to  protect, 
business  may  be  greatly  expedited.  When 
there  is  evidently  no  opposition,  the  formality 
of  voting  can  be  avoided  by  the  chair's  asking 
if  there  is  any  objection  to  the  proposed  action, 
and  if  there  is  none,  announcing  the  result.  The 
action  thus  taken  is  said  to  be  done  by  general 
consent,  or  unanimous  or  silent  consent.  Thus, 


204  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§48 

after  an  order  has  been  adopted  limiting  the 
speeches  to  two  minutes  each,  if  a  speaker  is 
so  interesting  that  when  his  time  has  expired 
there  is  a  general  demand  for  him  to  go  on, 
the  chair,  instead  of  waiting  for  a  motion  and 
taking  a  vote,  could  accept  it  as  the  will  of 
the  assembly  that  the  speaker's  time  be  ex- 
tended, and  would  direct  him  to  proceed.  Or, 
he  might  say  that  if  there  is  no  objection  the 
member's  time  will  be  extended  two  minutes, 
or  some  other  time.     [See  also  page.  198.] 

Two-thirds  Vote.  A  two-thirds  vote  means 
two-thirds  of  the  votes  cast,  ignoring  blanks 
which  should  never  be  counted.  This  must 
not  be  confused  with  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of 
the  members  present,  or  two-thirds  of  the 
members,  terms  sometimes  used  in  by-laws. 
To  illustrate  the  difference :  Suppose  14  mem- 
bers vote  on  a  question  in  a  meeting  of  a 
society  where  20  are  present  out  of  a  total 
membership  of  70.  a  two-thirds  vote  would  be 
10;  a  two-thirds  vote  of  the  members  present 
would  be  14;  and  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of  the 
members  would  be  47. 

There  has  been  established  as  a  compromise 
between  the  rights  of  the  individual  and  the 
rights  of  the  assembly  the  principle  that  a  two- 
thirds  vote  is  required  to  adopt  any  motion 
that  suspends  or  modifies  a  rule  of  order  pre- 
viously adopted ;  or  prevents  the  introduction 
of  a  question  for  consideration;  or  closes,  or 
limits,   or  extends   the   limits   of   debate;   or 


§  48]  MORE  THAN   A    MAJORITY  VOTE  205 

limits  the  freedom  of  nomination  or  voting; 
or  closes  nominations  or  the  polls;  or  deprives 
one  of  membership  or  office.  It  will  be  found 
that  every  motion  in  the  following  list  belongs 
to  one  of  the  classes  just  mentioned. 


Motions  Requiring  a  Two-thirds  Vote.* 

Amend  (Annul,  Repeal,  or  Rescind)  any  part 
of  the  Constitution,  By-lazvs,  or  Rules  of 
Order,  previously  adopted;  it  also  requires 

preznous  notice 68 

Amend  or  Rescind  a  Standing  Rule,  a  Pro- 
gram or  Order  of  Business,  or  a  Resolution, 
previously  adopted,  without  notice  being 
given  at  a  previous  meeting  or  in  the  call 

for  the  meeting 37 

Take  up  a  Question  out  of  its  Proper  Order . .  22 

Suspend  the  Rules 22 

Make  a  Special  Order 20 

Discharge  an  Order  of  the  Day  before  it  is 

pending    20 

Refuse  to  Proceed  to  the  Orders  of  the  Day. .   20 
Sustain  an  Objection  to  the  Consideration  of 

a  Question 23 

Previous  Question 29 

Limit,  or  Extend  the  Limits,  of  Debate 30 

*  The  U.  S.  Constitution  requires  a  two-thirds  vote  of 
both  Houses  to  pass  a  resolution  proposing  an  amend- 
ment to  the  Constitution,  to  pass  a  vetoed  bill,  or  to 
remove  political  disabilities;  a  two-thirds  vote  of  either 
House  to  expel  a  member ;  and  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of 
the  Senators  present  to  ratify  a  treaty  or  convict  on  an 
impeachment.  The  House  requires  a  two-thirds  vote  to 
suspend  the  rules,  but  is  obliged  to  allow  a  majority  to 
order  the  previous  question  or  to  limit  debate,  as  other- 
wise its  business  could  never  be  transacted.  Still,  a  bill 
cannot  be  passed  without  at  least  forty  minutes  of  debate, 
as  that  is  allowed  after  the  suspension  of  the  rules  or 
the  previous  question  has  been  ordered.  [See  foot  note 
to  44.] 


206  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§49 

Extend  the  Time  Appointed  for  Adjournment 
or  for  Taking  a  Recess 20 

Close  Nominations  [26]  or  the  Polls 25 

Limit  the  Names  to  be  ■  Voted  for 

Expel  from  Membership:  it  also  requires 
previous  notice  and  trial 75 

Depose  from  Office:  it  also  requires  previous 
notice    _ •.•  • 

Discharge  a  Committee  when  previous  notice 
has  not  been  given 32 

Reconsider  in  Committee  when  a  member  of 
the  majority  is  absent  and  has  not  been 
notified  of  the  proposed  reconsideration. . .   36 

Art.  IX.     Committees  and  Boards 

PAGE 

49.  Committees    Classified 206 

50.  Boards  of  Managers,  etc.,  and  Executive 

Committees    207 

51.  Ex-Officio  Members  of  Boards  and  Com- 

mittees   210 

52.  Committees,  Special  and  Standing 211 

53.  Reception   of   Reports 220 

54.  Adoption  or  Acceptance  of  Reports 223 

55.  Committee  of  the  Whole 229 

56.  As  if  in  Committee  of  the  Whole 233 

57.  Informal    Consideration 234 

49.  Committees  Classified.  A  Committee 
is  a  body  of  one  or  more  persons  appointed 
or  elected  by  an  assembly  or  society  to  consider, 
or  investigate,  or  take  action  in  regard  to,  cer- 
tain matters  or  subjects,  or  to  do  all  of  these 
things.  Committees  may  be  divided  into  two 
distinct  classes : 

(1)  Boards  of  Managers  or  Directors, 
Boards  of  Trustees,  Executive  Committees,  etc. 

(2)  Ordinary     Committees,     Special     or 


§  50]   BOARDS  AND  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE       207 

Standing,  and  Committee  of  the  Whole  and  its 
substitutes. 

These  different  kinds  of  committees  are 
considered  separately  in  the  following  five 
sections. 

50.  Boards  of  Managers  or  Directors, 
Boards  of  Trustees,  Executive  Committees, 
etc.  Committees  of  this  class  are  essen- 
tially small  deliberative  assemblies,  subordi- 
nate to  the  body  that  appoints  them,  with  their 
duties  and  authority,  and  the  number  of  their 
regular  meetings  and  their  quorums,  defined 
by  the  parent  body,  or  by  its  authority.  Boards 
or  Committees  of  this  class  are  usually  ap- 
pointed by  organizations  that  meet  only  an- 
nually or  quarterly.  With  such  an  organiza- 
tion it  is  customary  and  necessary  to  delegate 
to  a  committee,  usually  known  as  the  Board 
of  Managers  or  Directors,  all  its  authority, 
with  slight  limitations,  to  be  exercised  between 
its  meetings.  The  by-laws  of  the  Board  are 
adopted  by  the  parent  body,  or  the  Board  may 
be  authorized  to  adopt  its  own  by-laws.  It  is 
usual  to  authorize  the  Board  to  appoint  from 
its  membership. an  Executive  Committee  of  a 
specified  number  who  shall  have  all  the  power 
of  the  Board  between  the  meetings  of  the 
Board,  just  as  the  Board  has  all  the  power  of 
the  Society  between  the  meetings  of  the  So- 
ciety, except  that  the  subordinate  body  cannot 
modify  any  action  taken  by  its  superior.  1  he 
Executive  Committee  should  be  small  and  the 


208  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  50 

members  should  live  near  enough  each  other 
to  be  able  to  have  frequent  regular  meetings, 
besides  special  meetings  in  emergencies.  Where 
the  organization  is  local,  such  as  a  society  for 
sustaining  an  orphan  asylum,  the  Board  of 
Managers  usually  divides  itself  into  commit- 
tees having  charge  of  different  branches  of  the 
work  during  the  intervals  between  the  monthly 
or  quarterly  meetings  of  the  Board,  when  these 
committees  report  on  the  work  done.  It  is 
seldom  that  resolutions  or  other  matters  are 
referred  to  boards  or  committees  of  this  class 
for  them  to  report  back  to  the  society  with 
recommendations.  If  papers  are  referred  to 
them  it  is  usually  for  their  information  and 
action.  They  are  organized  as  any  other  de- 
liberative assembly  with  a  chairman  and  a 
secretary,  whom  they  elect  if  they  are  not  ap- 
pointed by  the  society.  Frequently  the  by-laws 
of  the  society  make  its  president  and  its  cor- 
responding, or  executive  secretary,  ex-officio, 
[51]  president  and  secretary  of  the  Board  of 
Managers. 

In  large  boards  business  is  transacted  the 
same  as  in  the  society  meetings ;  but  in  small 
boards  the  same  formality  is  not  necessary  or 
usual,  the  informality  observed  by  committees 
being  generally  allowed.  In  a  board  meeting 
where  there  are  not  more  than  about  a  dozen 
present,  for  instance,  it  is  not  necessary  to  rise 
in  order  to  make  a  motion,  nor  to  wait  for  rec- 
ognition by  the  chair  before  speaking  or  mak- 


§  50]    BOARDS  AND  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE       209 

ing  a  motion,  nor  for  a  motion  to  have  a 
second ;  nor  is  there  any  limit  to  the  number 
of  speeches,  nor  does  the  chairman  leave  the 
chair  when  making  a  motion  or  discussing  a 
question.  The  formalities  necessary  in  order 
to  transact  business  in  a  large  assembly  would 
hinder  business  in  so  small  a  body. 

Boards  are  often  constituted  so  that  the 
term  of  office  of.  say,  one-third  of  its  members 
expires  each  year.  After  each  annual  meeting 
in  such  case,  the  board  elects  new  officers 
and  committees,  the  same  as  if  the  entire  board 
had  been  re-elected.  All  unfinished  business 
falls  to  the  ground  when  the  new  board  is 
elected. 

It  is  customary  for  the  by-laws  to  require 
an  annual  report  from  the  Board  of  Managers, 
which  usually  gives  a  brief  account  of  its  do- 
ings for  the  year  with  recommendations  for 
the  future.  After  discussion,  and  amendment 
if  necessary,  the  report  is  usually  adopted  by 
the  society  and  published  in  its  annual  pro- 
ceedings as  the  report  of  the  board.  In  such 
a  case,  care  should  be  taken  in  publishing  it  to 
inclose  in  brackets  all  that  has  been  struck  out, 
and  to  put  in  italics  whatever  has  been  in- 
serted, and  to  insert  a  note  to  that  effect  at  the 
beginning  of  the  report,  so  that  exactly  what 
the  board  recommended  can  readily  be  seen. 
The  minutes  should  read  thus :  'The  Board 
of  Managers  submitted  its  report  which 
after  discussion  and  amendment  was  adopted 


210 


RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  5i 


as  follows,  the  words  in  brackets  having 
been  struck  out  and  those  underscored  (in 
italics)  having  been  inserted  before  the  report 
was  adopted."  The  society  cannot  alter  the 
report  of  the  board.  It  may  decline  to  indorse 
it,  or  even  to  allow  it  to  be  printed,  but  it 
cannot  make  it  appear  that  the  board  stated 
anything  different  from  what  it  has  reported. 
By  the  above  plan  is  shown  exactly  what  the 
board  reported  and  what  the  society  adopted, 
or  endorsed. 

51.  Ex-Officio  Members  of  Boards  and 
Committees.  Frequently  boards  and  com- 
mittees contain  some  members  who  are  mem- 
bers by  virtue  of  their  office,  and,  therefore, 
are  termed  ex-officio  members.  When  such  a 
member  ceases  to  hold  the  office  his  member- 
ship of  the  board  terminates  automatically. 
If  the  ex-officio  member  is  under  the  control 
of  the  society,  there  is  no  distinction  between 
him  and  the  other  members  except  where  the 
president  is  ex-officio  member  of  all  com- 
mittees, in  which  case  it  is  evidently  the  in- 
tention to  permit,  not  to  require,  him  to  act 
as  a  member  of  the  various  committees,  and 
therefore  in  counting  a  quorum  he  should  not 
be  counted  as  a  member.  The  president  is 
not  a  member  of  any  committee  except  by  vir- 
tue of  a  special  rule,  unless  he  is  so  appointed 
by  the  assembly.  If  the  ex-officio  member  is 
not  under  the  authority  of  the  society,  he  has  1 
all  the  privileges,  including  the  right  to  vote,    ' 


§52]  COMMITTEES  211 

but  none  of  the  obligations  of  membership; 
as  when  the  governor  of  a  state  is,  ex-officio, 
a  manager  or  a  trustee  of  a  private  academy. 

52.  Committees,  Special  and  Standing. 
It  is  usual  in  deliberative  assemblies,  to  have 
all  preliminary  work  in  the  preparation  of 
matter  for  their  action  done  by  means  of  com- 
mittees. The  committee  may  be  either  a 
"standing  committee,"  appointed  for  a  definite 
time,  as  a  session  or  a  year;  or  a  "special  [or 
select]  committee,"  appointed  for  a  special 
purpose ;  or  a  ''committee  of  the  whole"  con- 
sisting of  the  entire  assembly.  [For  method 
of  appointing  committees  of  the  whole,  see  55  ; 
other  committees,  see  Commit,  32.]  Com- 
mittees of  the  whole  are  not  used  much  except 
in  legislative  bodies,  and  when  the  word  com- 
mittees is  used  in  this  Manual,  unless  specified 
to  the  contrary,  standing  or  special  committees 
are  meant.  Unless  the  assembly  has  appointed 
a  chairman,  either  directly  or  through  its  pre- 
siding officer,  the  first  named  on  a  committee, 
and  in  his  absence  the  next  named  member, 
becomes  chairman,  and  so  on  and  should  act 
as  such  unless  the  committee  by  a  majority 
of  its  number  elects  a  chairman,  which  it  has 
the  right  to  do  if  the  assembly  has  not  ap- 
pointed one,  and  which  a  standing  committee 
usually  does.  The  clerk  should  furnish  him, 
or,  in  his  absence,  some  other  member  of  the 
committee,  with  notice  of  the  appointment  of 
the  committee,  the  names  of  the  members,  the 


212  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  52 

papers  or  matter  referred  to  it,  and  such  in- 
structions as  the  assembly  has  decided  upon. 
Upon  the  committee's  request,  all  papers  and 
books  necessary  for  the  proper  performance 
of  its  duties  should  be  turned  over  to  it  by  the 
proper  officers. 

It  is  the  duty  of  the  chairman  to  call  the 
committee  together,  but,  if  he  is  absent,  or 
neglects  or  declines  to  call  a  meeting  of  the 
committee,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  committee  to 
meet  on  the  call  of  any  two  of  its  members. 
In  small  special  committees  the  chairman  usu- 
ally acts  as  secretary,  but  in  large  ones  and  in 
all  standing  committees,  it  is  customary  to 
elect  a  secretary,  who  keeps  a  brief  memo- 
randum of  what  is  done,  for  the  use  of  the 
committee.  Members  of  the  society  have  a 
right  to  appear  at  the  committee  meetings  and 
present  their  views  on  the  subject  before  it  at 
such  reasonable  times  as,  upon  request,  the 
committee  may  appoint.  But  during  the  de- 
liberations of  the  committee  no  one  has  a  right 
to  be  present,  except  members  of  the  com- 
mittee. 

The  rules  of  the  assembly,  as  far  as  possible, 
apply  to  the  committee,  but  motions  to  close  or 
limit  debate  are  not  allowed,  and  there  is  no 
limit  to  the  number  of  times  a  member  may 
speak,  and  unless  the  committee  is  very  large, 
it  is  not  necessary  for  any  one  to  rise  and 
address  the  chair  before  making  a  motion  or 
speaking,  nor  does  the  chairman  rise  to  put  the 


§  52]  COMMITTEES  213 

question,  nor  does  he  leave  the  chair  to  speak 
or  make  motions,  nor  are  motions  seconded. 
These  formaHties  are  unnecessary  because  the 
committee  is  so  small,  but,  unless  agreed  to  by 
general  consent,  all  questions  must  be  put  to 
vote.  Instead  of  the  chairman's  abstaining 
from  speaking  on  questions,  he  is,  usually,  the 
most  active  participant  in  the  discussions  and 
w^ork  of  the  committee.  In  order  that  the  as- 
sembly may  have  the  benefit  of  the  matured 
judgment  of  the  committee,  a  reconsideration 
of  a  vote  must  be  allowed  regardless  of  the 
time  and  of  previous  reconsideration,  and  it 
may  be  moved  by  any  one  who  did  not  vote 
with  the  minority,  even  if  he  was  absent  when 
the  previous  vote  was  taken;  but  it  shall  re- 
quire a  two-thirds  vote  for  its  adoption  unless 
every  member  who  voted  with  the  majority  is 
either  present  or  received  ample  notice  of  the 
meeting  and  that  the  reconsideration  was  to 
be  moved.  This  prevents  taking  advantage  of 
the  absence  of  members  to  reverse  action,  and 
enables  members  who  were  absent  to  bring  up 
the  question  of  reconsideration. 

The  committee  constitute  a  miniature  as- 
sembly, being  able  to  act  only  when  a  quorum 
(a  majority  of  the  members)  is  present.  If  a 
paper  is  referred  to  them,  they  must  not  write 
on  it,  but  should  write  their  amendments  on 
a  separate  sheet.  If  the  amendments  are  nu- 
merous it  is  better  to  write  out  a  substitn.te  and 
submit  it.    If  a  resolution  is  referred  to  a  com- 


214  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  52 

mittee  while  a  motion  to  postpone  indefinitely 
is  pending,  only  the  resolution  is  referred  to 
the  committee,  the  motion  to  postpone  in- 
definitely being  ignored.  If  amendments  are 
pending  they  go  to  the  committee,  who  may 
recommend  their  adoption  or  rejection,  or 
make  no  recommendation  in  regard  to  them. 
If  the  committee  originate  the  paper,  all 
amendments  must  be  incorporated  in  it.  When 
they  originate  it,  usually  one  member  has 
previously  prepared  a  draft,  which  is  read  en- 
tirely through,  and  then  read  by  paragraphs, 
the  chairman  pausing  after  each  paragraph, 
and  asking :  "Are  there  any  amendments  pro- 
posed to  this  paragraph?"  No  vote  is  taken 
on  the  adoption  of  the  separate  paragraphs ; 
but,  after  the  whole  paper  has  been  read  in 
this  way,  it  is  open  to  amendment  generally, 
by  striking  out  any  paragraph,  or  by  substi- 
tuting or  inserting  new  ones,  or  by  substitut- 
ing an  entirely  new  paper  for  it.  If  there  is  a 
preamble  it  is  considered  last.  When  the  en- 
tire paper  has  been  amended  to  suit  the  com- 
mittee, they  should  adopt  it  as  their  report, 
and  direct  the  chairman  or  some  other  member 
to  report  it  to  the  assembly.  When  com- 
mittees are  appointed  to  investigate,  or  to  re- 
port upon,  certain  matters,  the  report  should 
close  with,  or  be  accompanied  by,  formal  reso- 
lutions covering  all  recommendations,  so  that 
when  their  report  is  made  no  motion  is  neces- 
sary except  to  adopt  the  resolutions. 


§  52]  COMMITTEES  21$ 

If  the  report  is  written  in  this  form,  "Your  commit- 
tee are  of  the  opinion  that  Mr.  A's  bill  should  be  paid," 
there  might  be  some  doubt  as  to  the  effect  of  the  adop- 
tion of  the  recommendation  or  the  report.  The  report 
should  close  with  a  recommendation  that  the  following 
order  be  adopted:  "Ordered,  That  the  Treasurer  pay 
Mr.  A's  bill  for  $10.15."  If  a  report  recommends  that 
charges  be  preferred  against  Mr.  B,  it  should  close 
with  recommending  the  adoption  of  resolutions,  which 
should  be  written  out,  providing  for  holding  an  ad- 
journed meeting,  and  for  citing  the  member  to  appear 
at  the  adjourned  meeting  for  trial  on  charges  that 
must  be  specified.  These  should  be  prepared  by  the 
committee  and  submitted  as  a  part  of  their  report. 
The  committee  should  never  leave  to  others  the  re- 
sponsibility of  preparing  resolutions  to  carry  out  their 
recommendations.  They  should  consider  this  as  one 
of  their  most  important  duties. 

When  the  report  has  been  adopted  by  the 
committee  a  clear  copy  is  made,  usually  com- 
mencing in  a  style  similar  to  this:  *'The  com- 
mittee to  whom  was  referred  (state  the  matter 
referred),  beg  leave  to  submit  the  following 
report;"  or,  "Your  committee  appointed  to 
(specify  the  object),  respectfully  report,"  etc. 
If  the  report  is  of  much  importance  it  should 
be  signed  by  all  the  members  concurring  in  the 
report;  but  when  it  is  of  Httle  importance,  or 
merely  recommends  amendments,  etc.,  it  may 
be  signed  by  the  chairman  alone,  his  signature 
being  followed  by  the  word  "Chairman."  He 
should  not,  however,  place  "Chairman"  after 
his  signature  except  when  he  signs  the  report 
alone  and  by  the  authority  of  the  committee. 
The  report  must  always  be  in  the  third  per- 
son though  written  and  signed  by  only  one. 


2l6  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  52 

The  signature  may  be  preceded  by  the  words, 
"Respectfully  submitted,"  but  it  is  not  neces- 
sary. Usually  the  report  is  not  dated  or  ad- 
dressed, and  sometimes  it  consists  merely  of 
a  resolution,  or  a  set  of  resolutions.  In  the 
latter  case  the  chairman  states  he  is  instructed 
by  the  committee  to  submit  and  to  move  the 
adoption  of  the  resolutions.  The  report  of 
the  majority  is  the  report  of  the  committee 
and  should  never  be  referred  to  as  the  majority 
report. 

If  the  minority  submit  a  report,  (or  more 
properly,  their  "views,")  it  may  commence 
thus:  "The  undersigned,  a  minority  of  the 
committee  appointed,  etc.,  not  agreeing  with 
the  majority,  desire  to  express  their  views  in 
the  case."  After  the  committee's  report  has 
been  read  and  the  motion  to  adopt  has  been 
made  and  the  question  stated,  it  is  usual  to 
allow  the  minority  to  present  their  views,  but 
if  any  one  objects  to  its  reception  the  chair 
should  put  the  question  to  vote  on  its  being  re- 
ceived. It  requires  a  majority  vote  to  receive 
it,  the  question  being  undebatable.  When  the 
minority  report  is  read  it  is  for  information* 
and  it  cannot  be  acted  upon  except  by  a  mo- 
tion to  substitute  it  for  the  report  of  the  com- 
mittee. Whether  the  views  of  the  minority 
are  read  or  not,  any  one  can  move  to  substi- 
tute the  resolutions  they  recommend  for  those 
recommended  by  the  committee.  Where  the 
minority  cannot  agree,  each  member  may  sub- 


§52]  COMMITTEES  21/ 

mit  his  views  separately.  In  some  cases  a 
member  agrees  to  the  report  with  a  single  ex- 
ception, in  which  case  instead  of  submitting 
his  views  separately,  after  all  have  signed  who 
agree  to  the  report  he  may  write  that  he  agrees 
to  the  report  except  the  part  which  he  specifies, 
and  then  sign  the  statement. 

The  committee's  report*  can  contain  only 
that  which  has  been  agreed  to  by  a  majority 
vote  at  a  meeting  of  which  every  member  has 
been  notified,  or  at  an  adjourned  meeting 
thereof  (a  quorum,  a  majority  of  the  members, 
being  present),  except  where  it  is  impracticable 
to  have  a  meeting  of  the  committee,  when  it 
may  contain  what  is  agreed  to  by  every  mem- 
ber. If  a  committee  is  appointed  from  dif- 
ferent sections  of  the  country  with  the  expec- 
tation that  its  work  will  be  done  by  cor- 
respondence, its  report  can  contain  only 
what  is  agreed  to  by  a  majority  of  the  mem- 
bers. 

A  committee,  except  a  committee  of  the 
whole,  can  appoint  a  sub-committee  which, 
however,  reports  to  the  committee,  and  never 
to  the  assembly.  This  sub-committee  must 
consist  of  members  of  the  committee,  except 
in  cases  where  the  committee  is  appointed  to 
take   action    that   requires   the   assistance   of 

*  In  Congress  nothing  can  be  "the  report  of  the  com- 
mittee but  what  has  been  agreed  to  in  committee  actually 
assembled,"  so  that  a  report  signed  by  a  majority  of  a 
committee  acting  separately  was  ruled  out.  In  some 
societies,  however,  it  is  often  impracticable  to  have  regu- 
lar committee  meetings  with  a  majority  present. 


2l8  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  52 

Others,  as  to  make  arrangements  for  holding 
a  bazaar.  In  such  a  case  it  is  best  to  appoint 
the  committee  with  power  to  appoint  such  sub- 
committees as  are  required  ;  or,  as  is  frequently 
done,  to  appoint  the  committee  ''with  power," 
which  means  with  power  to  take  all  the  steps 
necessary  to  carry  out  its  instructions.  A 
committee  has  no  power  to  punish  its  members 
for  disorderly  conduct,  its  recourse  being  to 
report  the  facts  to  the  assembly.  No  allusion 
can  be  made  in  the  assembly  to  what  has  oc- 
curred during  the  deliberations  of  the  com- 
mittee, unless  it  is  by  a  report  of  the  committee 
or  by  general  consent.  When  a  special  com- 
mittee is  through  with  the  business  assigned 
it,  a  motion  is  made  for  the  committee  to 
"rise"  (which  is  equivalent  to  the  motion  to 
adjourn  without  day),  and  that  the  chair- 
man (or  some  member  who  is  more  familiar 
with  the  subject)  make  its  report  to  the  as- 
sembly. A  special  committee  ceases  to  exist 
as  soon  as  the  assembly  receives  its  report. 
When  a  committee  adjourns  without  appoint- 
ing a  time  for  the  next  meeting,  it  is  con- 
sidered as  having  adjourned  at  the  call  of  the 
chair,  so  that  all  the  meetings  of  a  special 
committee  constitute  one  session.  A  meeting 
o-f  a  special  committee  may  be  called  at  any 
time  by  the  chairman  or  by  any  two  of  its 
members,  every  member  being  notified.  When 
a  committee  adjourns  to  meet  at  another  time, 
it  is  not  necessary  (though  usually  advisable) 


§  52]  COMMITTEES  219 

that  absent  members  should  be  notified  of  the 
adjourned  meeting. 

A  standing  committee  is  either  wholly,  or 
partially,  elected  at  each  annual  meeting  in 
ordinar}^  societies,  and  immediately  thereafter 
it  reorganizes  by  electing  a  chairman  (unless 
he  has  been  appointed  by  the  assembly)  and  a 
secretary.  Therefore,  a  standing  committee 
must  report  at  the  annual  meeting,  or  before, 
on  everything  referred  to  it  during  the  year. 
The  motion  to  rise  is  never  used  in  standing 
committees  or  boards,  nor  is  it  used  in  other 
committees  except  when  the  committee  is 
ready  to  report  so  that  it  will  never  meet  again. 
A  special  committee  is  appointed  for  a  specific 
purpose,  and  until  the  duty  assigned  it  by  the 
society  is  accomplished  it  continues  to  exist, 
unless  sooner  discharged,  which  requires  a 
two-thirds  vote  if  done  without  notice  being 
given.  The  fact  that  an  annual  meeting  has 
intervened  does  not  discharge  a  special  com- 
mittee appointed  by  a  society.  But  in  an 
elected  or  appointed  body,  as  a  convention, 
special  committees  that  have  not  reported  cease 
to  exist  when  the  new  officers  assume  their 
duties  at  the  next  annual  meeting.  When  dis- 
charged, the  chairman  of  the  committee  re- 
turns to  the  secretary  all  documents  received 
from  him. 

While  in  small  assemblies,  especially  in 
those  where  but  little  business  is  done,  there 
is  not  much  need  of  committees,  in  large  as- 


220 


RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  53 


semblies,  or  in  those  doing  a  great  deal  of 
business,  committees  are  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance. When  a  committee  is  properly  se- 
lected, in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  its  action  de- 
cides that  of  the  assembly.  A  committee  for 
action  should  be  small,  and  consist  only  of 
those  heartily  in  favor  of  the  proposed  action. 
If  one  not  in  sympathy  with  it  is  appointed. 
he  should  ask  to  be  excused.  A  committee  for 
deliberation  or  investigation,  on  the  contrary, 
should  be  large,  and  represent  all  parties  in  the 
assembly,  so  that  its  opinion  will  carry  with  it 
as  great  weight  as  possible.  The  usefulness 
of  the  committee  will  be  greatly  impaired  if 
any  important  faction  of  the  assembly  is  un- 
represented on  the  committee.  The  appoint- 
ment of  a  committee  is  fully  explained  in  32. 
53.  Reception  of  Reports.  When  there 
is  a  place  in  the  order  of  business  provided  for 
reports  of  committees,  they  are  not  made  until 
they  are  called  for  by  the  chair.  Upon  the  ar- 
rival of  the  time  for  these  reports,  the  chair 
calls  for  the  reports  of  such  officers  and  stand- 
ing committees  as  are  required  to  make  re- 
ports, in  the  order  in  which  they  are  arranged 
in  the  rules ;  after  which  he  calls  for  the  re- 
ports of  the  special  committees  in  the  order 
of  their  appointment.  When  called  upon,  the 
reporting  member  (who  is  the  chairman  of  the 
committee  unless  another  member  is  appointed 
to  make  the  report)  rises  and  addresses  the 
chair,  and,  when  recognized,  reads  the  report 


§  53  I        RECEPTION  OF  REPORTS         221 

and  hands  it  to  the  presiding  officer,  or  the  sec- 
retary, and,  when  necessary,  moves  its  adop- 
tion or  acceptance  as  explained  in  the  next 
section.  If  the  committee  reports  back  a  paper 
with  amendments,  the  amendments  are  read 
with  sufficient  of  the  related  parts  to  make 
them  understood.  If  it  is  desired  to  have  a  re- 
port made  earlier  than  the  rules  allow,  it  can 
be  done,  by  a  two-thirds  vote,  by  suspending 
the  rules  [22]  and  receiving  the  report  at  once. 
If  the  order  of  business  makes  no  provision 
for  the  report  of  the  committee,  the  reporting 
member,  when  ready  to  report,  obtains  the 
floor  when  no  business  is  pending,  and  informs 
the  assembly  that  the  committee  to  which  was 
referred  such  a  subject  or  paper  has  agreed 
upon  a  report  which  he  is  now  prepared  to 
submit.  If  the  chair  thinks  the  assembly 
wishes  to  hear  the  report  he  directs  him  to  pro- 
ceed, whereupon  he  reads  the  report  and  hands 
it  to  the  chairman  and  makes  the  proper  mo- 
tion for  its  disposal.  If  before  it  is  read  any 
one  objects  to  its  reception,  or  if  the  chair  is 
in  doubt  as  to  whether  it  should  be  received 
now,  he  puts  to  the  assembly  the  question, 
"Shall  the  report  be  received  now?"  It  re- 
quires a  majority  vote  to  receive  it,  and  the 
question  is  undebatable.  If  the  vote  is  in  the 
negative,  a  time  for  the  reception  of  the  report 
should  be  appointed  either  by  a  vote  or  by  gen- 
eral consent.  Usually  no  motions  are  made  or 
votes   taken   in    regard    to    receiving   reports, 


222  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  53 

these  matters  being  all  settled  informally  by 
general  consent. 

If  the  report  is  a  final  one,  when  the  assem- 
bly has  received  the  report  the  committee  has 
completed  its  work,  and,  without  any  motion, 
it  is  automatically  discharged  from  further 
consideration  of  the  subject,  and,  if  it  is  a  spe- 
cial committee,  it  ceases  to  exist.  If  the  report 
is  only  a  partial  one  the  committee  is  not  dis- 
charged unless  the  assembly  so  votes.  If  the 
subject  is  recommitted  the  committee  is  re- 
vived (unless  the  reference  is  to  another  com- 
mittee), and  all  parts  of  the  report  that  have 
not  been  adopted  by  the  assembly  are  ignored 
by  the  committee  as  if  the  report  had  never 
been  made.  If  any  member  or  members  wish 
to  submit  the  views  of  the  minority  it  is  cus- 
tomary to  receive  such  a  report  immediately 
after  receiving  the  report  of  the  committee. 
In  such  case  the  reporting  member  should  no- 
tify the  assembly  that  the  views  of  the  mi- 
nority will  be  submitted  in  a  separate  paper. 
As  soon  as  the  chair  has  stated  the  question 
on  the  report,  he  should  call  for  the  views 
of  the  minority,  which  are  then  read  for  infor- 
mation. They  cannot  be  acted  upon  unless  it 
is  moved  to  substitute  them  for  the  commit- 
tee's report,  or  rather  to  substitute  the  recom- 
mendations of  the  minority  for  those  of  the 
committee. 

A  very  common  error  is,  after  a  report  has 
been  read,  to  move  that  it  be  received,  whereas 


§  54]       ACCEPTANCE  OF  REPORTS        223 

the  fact  that  it  has  been  read  shows  that  it  has 
been  already  received  by  the  assembly.  An- 
other mistake,  less  common,  but  dangerous,  is 
to  vote  that  the  report  be  accepted,  which  is 
equivalent  to  adopting  it  [see  next  section], 
when  the  intention  is  only  to  have  the  report 
up  for  consideration  and  afterwards  to  vote  on 
its  adoption. 

54.  Adoption  or  Acceptance  of  Reports. 
\\'hen  the  report  of  a  committee  has  been  re- 
ceived, that  is,  has  been  presented  to  the  as- 
sembly and  either  read  or  handed  to  the  chair 
or  the  secretary,  the  next  business  in  order  is 
the  disposal  of  the  report,  the  proper  disposi- 
tion depending  upon  its  nature. 

(1)  If  the  report  contains  only  a  statement 
of  fact  or  opinion  for  the  information  of  the 
assembly,  the  reporting  member  makes  no  mo- 
tion for  its  disposal,  as  there  is  no  necessity 
for  action  on  the  report.  But  if  any  action  is 
taken,  the  proper  motion,  which  should  be 
made  by  some  one  else,  is  to  ''accept  the  re- 
port," which  has  the  effect  of  endorsing  the 
statement  and  making  the  assembly  assume 
responsibility  for  it. 

If  it  is  a  financial  report,  as  in  case  of  a 
board  of  trustees  or  a  treasurer,  it  should  be 
referred  to  an  auditing  committee,  as  the  vote 
to  accept  the  report  does  not  endorse  the  ac- 
curacy of  the  figures,  for  the  assembly  can  only 
be  sure  of  that  by  having  the  report  audited. 
Whenever  such  a  financial  report  is  made,  the 


224  RULES  OF  ORDER  '[§  54 

chair,  without  any  motion,  should  say  it  is 
referred  to  the  auditing  committee  or  audi- 
tors, if  there  are  any.  If  there  are  none,  then 
the  proper  motion  is  to  refer  it  to  an  auditing 
committee  to  be  appointed  by  the  chair.  When 
the  auditing  committee  reports,  this  report 
should  be  accepted,  or  adopted,  which  carries 
with  it  the  endorsement  of  the  financial  report. 

(2)  If  the  report  contains  recommenda- 
tions not  in  the  form  of  motions,  they  should 
all  be  placed  at  the  end  of  the  report,  even  if 
they  have  been  given  separately  before,  and 
the  proper  motion  is  to  adopt  the  recom- 
mendations. 

(3)  If  the  report  concludes  with  a  reso- 
lution or  a  series  of  resolutions,  the  proper 
course  is  for  the  reporting  member  to  move 
that  the  resolution  or  resolutions  be  adopted 
or  agreed  to.  This  method  should  be  adopted 
whenever  practicable. 

(4)  If  a  committee  reports  back  a  resolu- 
tion which  was  referred  to  it,  the  motion  to 
postpone  indefinitely,  if  it  was  pending,  is 
ignored ;  if  an  amendment  was  pending  it 
should  be  reported  on.  The  form  of  the 
question  to  be  stated  by  the  chair  depends  upon 
the  recommendation  of  the  committee  as  fol- 
lows:  (a)  If  the  committee  recommends 
its  adoption,  or  makes  no  recommendation 
(where  it  can  come  to  no  agreement),  the 
question  should  be  stated  on  the  amendment 
if  there  was  one  pending,  and  then  on  the  reso- 


§  54]       ACCEPTANCE  OF  REPORTS        225 

lution.  These  motions  were  pending  when  the 
question  was  referred  to  the  committee,  and 
therefore  should  not  be  made  again,  (b)  If 
the  recommendation  is  that  the  resolution  be 
not  adopted,  the  question  on  the  resolution, 
when  it  is  put,  should  be  stated  thus:  "The 
question  is  on  the  adoption  of  the  resolution, 
the  recommendation  of  the  committee  to  the 
contrary  notwithstanding."  A  similar  course 
is  pursued  if  the  committee  recommends  that 
an  amendment  be  not  adopted,  (c)  If  the 
committee  recommends  that  the  resolution  be 
postponed  indefinitely,  or  postponed  to  a  cer- 
tain time,  the  question  should  be  on  the  post- 
ponement, and,  if  that  is  lost,  then  on  the 
resolution. 

(d)  If  the  committee  reports  back  a  resolu- 
tion or  paper  with  amendments,  the  reporting 
member  reads  only  the  amendments  with  suf- 
ficient of  the  context  to  make  them  understood 
and  then  moves  their  adoption.  The  chair- 
man, after  stating  the  question  on  the  adoption 
of  the  amendments,  calls  for  the  reading  of 
the  first  amendment,  after  which  it  is  open  for 
debate  and  amendment.  A  vote  is  then  taken 
on  adopting  this  amendment,  and  the  next  is 
read,  and  so  on  till  the  amendments  are 
adopted  or  rejected,  admitting  amendments  to 
the  committee's  amendments,  but  no  others. 
When  through  with  the  committee's  amend- 
ments, the  chairman  pauses  for  any  other 
amendments  to  be  proposed  by  the  assembly ; 


226  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  54 

and  when  these  are  voted  on  he  puts  the  ques- 
tion on  agreeing  to,  or  adopting,  the  paper  as 
amended,  unless,  in  a  case  like  revising  the 
by-laws,  they  have  been  already  adopted.  By 
suspending  the  rules  [22],  or  by  general  con- 
sent, a  report  can  be  at  once  adopted  without 
following  any  of  the  above  routine. 

If  the  amendments  do  not  call  for  debate 
or  amendment,  as  when  reported  from  the 
committee  of  the  whole,  where  they  have  been 
already  discussed,  the  chair  puts  a  single  ques- 
tion on  all  the  committee's  amendments  except 
those  for  which  a  member  asks  a  separate 
vote,  thus :  "As  many  as  are  in  favor  of 
adopting  the  amendments  recommended  by  the 
committee,  except  those  for  which  a  separate 
vote  has  been  asked,  say  aye;  those  opposed 
say  no."  He  then  takes  up  the  remaining 
amendments  separately  in  their  order. 

{e}  If  the  committee  reports  back  a  reso- 
lution with  a  substitute  which  it  recommends 
for  adoption,  the  chair  states  the  question  on 
the  substitute,  if  there  were  no  amendments 
pending  when  the  resolution  was  committed. 
If,  however,  amendments  were  pending  when 
the  resolution  was  committed,  the  chair  first 
states  the  questions  on  those  pending  amend- 
ments, and  when  they  are  disposed  of  he  states 
the  question  on  the  substitute.  In  either  case 
the  substitute  is  treated  like  any  other  substi- 
tute motion,  the  resolution  being  first  perfected 
bv  amendments  and  then  the  substitute  resolu- 


§  54]       ACCEPTANCE  OF  REPORTS       227 

tion.  After  both  have  been  thus  perfected  the 
question  is  put  on  the  substitution,  and  finally 
on  the  resolution.  If  the  substitute  is  lost  the 
resolution  is  open  to  amendments  proposed  by 
members.  (/)  If  the  report  is  of  a  nomination 
committee  no  vote  should  be  taken,  any  more 
than  if  a  member  had  made  the  nominations. 
(g)  If  the  report  is  from  the  membership  com- 
mittee, the  chair  at  once  states  the  question 
on  the  reception  as  members  of  the  candidates 
recommended  by  the  committee. 

A  partial  report  of  a  committee  is  treated 
the  same  as  the  final  report.  If  it  reports  prog- 
ress only,  without  recommendations  or  com- 
clusions,  it  is  treated  as  any  other  report  for 
information,  and  no  action  need  be  taken.  But, 
if  the  partial  report  recommends  action,  then 
the  question  is  to  be  put  on  adopting  the  re- 
port, or  its  recommendations,  or  the  resolu- 
tions, the  same  as  if  it  were  the  final  report. 

While  it  is  customary  in  ordinary  societies 
to  make  and  second  a  motion  to  accept  or 
adopt  a  committee's  report,  yet  if  the  motion 
is  not  made  and  the  chair  deems  it  best  to  have 
a  vote  taken  on  the  question,  he  may  state  the 
appropriate  question  without  waiting  for  a 
motion,  accepting  the  submission  of  the  report 
by  a  committee  as  equivalent  to  moving  the 
adoption  of  the  appropriate  motion  for  dis- 
posing of  it,  just  as  is  the  case  when  one  offers 
a  resolution.  To  wait  to  see  if  two  members 
are  in  favor  of  a  proposition  which  at  least 


228  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§54 

two  have  signed,  or  authorized  the  chairman, 
or  reporting  member,  to  sign,  would  appear 
useless.  In  ordinary  societies  the  chairman 
of  the  assembly  usually  knows  better  than  the 
reporting  member  how  the  business  should  be 
managed,  especially  if  a  resolution  is  reported 
with  many  amendments.  However,  unless  the 
assembly  is  accustomed  to  having  its  chairman 
put  the  proper  questions  on  the  report  with- 
out any  formal  motion,  it  is  better  for  the 
reporting  member  to  move  the  "adoption"  of 
the  resolutions  or  recommendations,  as  that 
is  generally  understood. 

When  the  chair  has  stated  the  question  on 
the  adoption  of  the  recommendations  or  reso- 
lutions, or  of  the  report,  the  matter  under  con- 
sideration is  open  to  debate  and  amendment, 
and  may  have  applied  to  it  any  of  the  subsidi- 
ary motions,  like  other  main  questions.  Its 
consideration  cannot  be  objected  to  if  the  mat- 
ter was  referred  to  the  committee.  While  the 
report  of  the  committee  or  its  resolutions  may 
be  amended  by  the  assembly,  these  amend- 
ments only  afifect  that  which  the  assembly 
adopts,  as  the  assembly  cannot  in  any  way 
change  the  committee's  report. 

For  example:  A  committee  expresses  the 
opinion  that  Mr.  A  has  no  right  to  commit  a 
certain  act,  and  the  assembly  strikes  out  this 
statement  from  the  report  before  adopting  it. 
This  does  not  alter  the  report,  but,  when  the 
assembly  adopts  the  report,  this  statement  is 


§  55]  COMMITTEE   OF    THE    WHOLE  229 

not  adopted.  So  with  a  recommendation  or  a 
resolution :  the  assembly  may  strike  out  or  add 
one  or  more  recommendations  or  resolutions 
before  adopting,  but  that  does  not  alter  the 
committee's  report.  If  the  proceedings  are  pub- 
lished, the  committee's  report  should  be  printed 
exactly  as  it  was  submitted  with  the  amend- 
ments printed  below ;  or,  still  better,  all  words 
struck  out  should  be  enclosed  in  brackets  and 
all  words  inserted  should  be  printed  in  italics, 
and  a  note  to  that  effect  inserted  at  the 
beginning. 

While  the  motions  to  adopt,  to  accept,  etc., 
are  often  used  indiscriminately,  and  the  adop- 
tion of  any  one  of  them  has  the  eft'ect  of  en- 
dorsing or  adopting  the  opinions,  actions, 
recommendations,  or  resolutions  submitted  by 
the  committee,  as  the  case  may  be,  yet  it  is 
better  to  use  them  as  heretofore  stated.  If 
only  one  term  is  used,  the  word  ''adopt"  is 
preferable,  as  it  is  least  liable  to  be  mis- 
understood. 

55.  Committee  of  the  Whole.  When  an 
assembly  has  to  consider  a  subject  which  it 
does  not  wish  to  refer  to  a  committee,  and  yet 
where  the  subject  matter  is  not  well  digested 
and  put  into  proper  form  for  its  definite  ac- 
tion, or  when,  for  any  other  reason,  it  is  de- 
sirable for  the  assembly  to  consider  a  subject 
with  all  the  freedom  of  an  ordinary  committee, 
it  is  the  practice  to  refer  the  matter  to  the 
"Committee  of  the  Whole."    If  it  is  desired  to 


230  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  55 

consider  the  question  at  once,  the  motion  is 
made,  "That  the  assembly  do  now  resolve  it- 
self into  a  committee  of  the  whole,  to  take 
under  consideration,"  etc.,  or,  "That  we  go 
into  committee  of  the  whole  to  consider,"  etc., 
specifying  the  subject.  This  is  really  a  motion 
to  "commit."  [See  32  for  its  order  of  prece- 
dence, etc.]  If  adopted,  the  chairman  imme- 
diately calls  another  member  to  the  chair,  and 
takes  his  place  as  a  member  of  the  committee. 
The  committee  is  under  the  rules  of  the  as- 
sembly, excepting  as  stated  hereafter  in  this 
section. 

The  only  motions  in  order  are  to  amend  and 
adopt,  and  that  the  committee  "rise  and  re- 
port," as  it  cannot  adjourn ;  nor  can  it  order 
the  "yeas  and  nays."  An  appeal  from  the 
decision  of  the  chair  can  be  made,  and  it  must 
be  voted  on  directly,  as  it  cannot  be  laid  on  the 
table  or  postponed,  those  motions  not  being 
allowed  in  committee  of  the  whole.  Each 
member  can  speak  only  once  on  the  appeal. 
The  only  way  to  close  or  limit  debate  in  com- 
mittee of  the  whole  is  for  the  assembly,  before 
going  into  committee  of  the  whole,  to  vote  that 
the  debate  in  committee  shall  cease  at  a  certain 
time,  or  that  after  a  certain  time  no  debate 
shall  be  allowed,  excepting  on  new  amend- 
ments, and  then  only  one  speech  in  favor  of 
and  one  against  it,  of,  say,  five  minutes  each; 
or  in  some  other  way  to  regulate  the  time  for 
debate. 


§55]  COMMITTEE   OF    THE    WHOLE  23I 

If  no  limit  is  prescribed,  any  member  may 
speak  as  often  as  he  can  get  the  floor,  and  as 
long  each  time  as  is  allowed  in  debate  in  the 
assembly,  but  he  cannot  speak  a  second  time 
provided  a  member  wishes  the  floor  who  has 
not  spoken  on  that  particular  question.  De- 
bate having  been  closed  at  a  particular  time  by 
order  of  the  assembly,  the  committee  has  not 
the  power,  even  by  unanimous  consent,  to  ex- 
tend the  time.  The  committee  cannot  refer 
the  subject  to  another  committee.  Like  other 
committees,  it  cannot  alter  the  text  of  any 
resolution  referred  to  it;  but  if  the  resolution 
originated  in  the  committee,  then  all  the 
amendments  are  incorporated  in  it. 

When  tjie  committee  is  through  with  the 
consideration  of  the  subject  referred  to  it,  or 
if  it  wishes  to  adjourn,  or  to  have  the  assem- 
bly limit  debate,  a  motion  is  made  that  "the 
committee  rise  and  report,"  etc.,  specifying 
the  result  of  its  proceedings.  The  motion  to 
"rise"  is  equivalent  to  the  motion  to  adjourn 
in  the  assembly,  and  is  always  in  order  (except 
while  voting  or  when  another  member  has  the 
floor),  and  is  undebatable  and  cannot  be 
amended.  As  soon  as  this  motion  is  adopted 
the  presiding  officer  takes  the  chair,  and  the 
chairman  of  the  committee,  having  resumed 
his  place  in  the  assembly,  rises,  addresses  the 
chair,  and  says:  "The  Committee  of  the 
Whole  has  had  under  consideration  (here  he 
describes  the  resolution  or  other  matter)  and 


232 


RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  55 


has  directed  me  to  report  the  same  with  (or 
without,  as  the  case  may  be)  amendments," 
provided  the  committee  has  concluded  its  busi- 
ness. If  the  committee  has  failed  to  come  to 
a  conclusion,  strike  out  of  the  report  all  after 
"and  has"  and  insert  "come  to  no  conclusion 
thereon."  If  no  amendments  are  reported, 
the  chair  at  once  states  the  question  on  the 
resolution  or  other  matter  referred  to  the  com- 
mittee. If  amendments  are  reported  the  re- 
porting member  reads  them,  and  hands  the 
paper  to  the  chair,  who  reads,  and  states  and 
puts  the  question  on  the  amendments  as  a 
whole,  unless  a  member  asks  for  a  separate 
vote  on  one  or  more  amendments,  in  which 
case  a  single  vote  is  taken  on  all  the  other 
amendments,  and  then  the  question  is  stated 
separately  on  each  of  the  amendments  for 
which  a  separate  vote  was  asked.  The  amend- 
ments may  be  debated  and  amended. 

The  secretary  does  not  record  in  the  minutes 
the  proceedings  of  the  committee,  but  should 
keep  a  memorandum  of  the  proceedings  for 
its  use.  In  large  assemblies  the  secretary  va- 
cates his  chair,  which  is  occupied  by  the  chair- 
man of  the  committee,  and  the  assistant  sec- 
retary acts  as  secretary  of  the  committee. 
Should  the  committee  become  disorderly,  and 
the  chairman  be  unable  to  control  it,  the  pre- 
siding officer  should  take  the  chair  and  de- 
clare the  committee  dissolved.  The  quorum 
of  the  committee  of  the  whole  is  the  same  as 


§  56]  COMMITTEE   OF   THE    WHOLE  233 

that  of  the  assembly  [64].  If  the  committee 
finds  itself  without  a  quorum,  it  can  only  rise 
and  report  the  fact  to  the  assembly,  which  in 
such  case  must  adjourn. 

In  large  assemblies,  such  as  the  U.  S.  House 
of  Representatives,  where  a  member  can  speak 
to  any  question  only  once,  the  committee  of 
the  whole  seems  almost  a  necessity,  as  it  allows 
the  freest  discussion  of  a  subject,  while  at  any 
time  it  can  rise  and  thus  bring  into  force  the 
strict  rules  of  the  assembly.  In  small  as- 
semblies it  is  usually  more  convenient  to  sub- 
stitute for  it  either  the  ''Quasi  (as  if  in)  Com- 
mittee of  the  Whole,"  as  used  in  the  U.  S. 
Senate,  or  ''Informal  Consideration,"  as  fre- 
quently used  in  ordinary  societies.  These  are 
explained  in  the  next  two  sections. 

56.  As  if  in  (or  Quasi)  Committee  of  the 
Whole  is  used  in  the  U.  S.  Senate  instead 
of  the  committee  of  the  whole,  and  is  more 
convenient  in  small  assemblies.  The  motion 
should  be  made  in  a  form  similar  to  this:  "I 
move  that  the  resolution  be  considered  as  if  in 
committee  of  the  whole."  This  being  adopted, 
the  question  is  open  to  debate  and  amendment 
with  all  the  freedom  of  the  committee  of  the 
whole.  The  presiding  officer,  however,  retains 
the  chair,  instead  of  appointing  a  chairman  as 
is  done  when  the  assembly  goes  into  committee 
of  the  whole.  If  any  motion  is  adopted,  ex- 
cept an  amendment,  it  puts  an  end  to  the  quasi 
committee  of  the  whole.    Thus,  the  motion  to 


234  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  57 

commit  is  equivalent  to  the  following  motions 
when  in  committee  of  the  whole:  (1)  That 
the  committee  rise ;  (2)  that  the  committee  of 
the  whole  be  discharged  from  the  further  con- 
sideration of  the  subject;  and  (3)  that  it  be 
referred  to  a  committee.  When  the  assembly 
has  finished  amending  the  proposition  under 
consideration,  without'  further  motion  the 
chairman  announces  that,  'The  assembly,  act- 
ing as  if  in  committee  of  the  whole,  has  had 
such  subject  under  consideration,  and  has 
made  certain  amendments,"  which  he  then  re- 
ports. The  subject  comes  before  the  assembly 
then  as  if  reported  by  a  committee,  the  chair 
stating  the  question  on  the  amendments  as  de- 
scribed at  the  close  of  the  previous  section  un- 
der committee  of  the  whole.  The  secretary 
should  keep  a  memorandum  of  the  proceed- 
ings while  acting  as  if  in  committee  of  the 
whole,  but  it  should  not  be  entered  in  the  min- 
utes, being  only  for  temporary  use.  The  chair- 
man's report  to  the  assembly  should  be  en- 
tered in  the  minutes,  as  it  belongs  to  the  as- 
sembly's proceedings. 

57.  Informal  Consideration.  In  ordinary 
societies  the  meetings  of  which  are  not  large, 
instead  of  going  into  committee  of  the  whole, 
or  considering  questions  as  if  in  committee  of 
the  whole,  it  is  more  usual  to  consider  the 
question  informally.  The  motion  is  made 
•thus:  "I  move  that  the  question  be  consid- 
ered informally."    The  effect  of  the  adoption 


§  5/]  INFORMAL    CONSIDERATION  235 

of  this  motion  is  to  open  the  main  question  and 
any  amendments  that  may  be  proposed,  to  free 
debate  as  if  in  committee  of  the  whole.  No 
member  can  speak  the  second  time  to  the  same 
question  as  long  as  a  member  who  has  not 
spoken  desires  the  floor.  This  informal  con- 
sideration applies  only  to  the  main  question 
and  its  amendments,  so  that  any  other  motion 
that  is  made  is  under  the  regular  rules  of 
debate.  While  considering  a  question  inform- 
ally the  assembly  by  a  two-thirds  vote  may  limit 
the  number  or  length  of  speeches,  or  in  any 
other  way  limit  or  close  the  debate.  While  the 
consideration  of  the  main  question  and  its 
amendments  is  informal,  all  votes  are  formal, 
the  informality  applying  only  to  the  number 
of  speeches  allowed  in  debate.  The  instant 
the  main  question  is  disposed  of  temporarily, 
or  permanently,  the  informal  consideration 
automatically  ceases  without  any  motion  or 
vote. 

If  the  question  is  considered  in  either  the  regular 
committee  of  the  whole  or  the  quasi  committee  of  the 
whole,  it  is  necessary  formally  to  report  the  action  to 
the  assembly  and  then  take  action  on  the  report.  Thus. 
it  will  be  seen  that  informal  consideration  is  much 
simpler  than  either  of  the  methods  described  in  the 
previous  two  sections.  It  can  be  used  to  advantage  in 
assemblies  that  are  not  very  large,  instead  of  the 
committee  of  the  whole.  While  this  is  not  a  motion 
to  commit,  yet  it  is  used  for  practically  the  same  pur- 
pose as  the  committee  of  the  whole.  It  ranks  just 
below  the  motion  ''to  consider  as  if  in  committee  of 
the  whole,"  which  is  just  below  "to  go  into  committee 
of  the  whole." 


236  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§58 


Art.   X.     The   Officers   and  the   Minutes. 

PAGE 

58.  Chairman  or  President 236 

59.  Secretary  or   Clerk 244 

60.  The   Minutes 247 

61.  Executive   Secretary 250 

62.  Treasurer    251 

58.  Chairman  or  President.  The  presid- 
ing officer,  when  no  special  title  has  been  as- 
signed him,  is  ordinarily  called  the  Chairman, 
or  the  President,  or,  especially  in  religious  as- 
semblies, the  Moderator.  In  organized  so- 
cieties the  constitution  always  prescribes  his 
title,  that  of  President  being  most  common.  In 
debate  he  is  referred  to  by  his  official  title  and 
is  addressed  by  prefixing  Mr.  or  Madam,  as 
the  case  may  be,  to  that  title.  In  referring  to 
himself  he  should  never  use  the  personal  pro- 
noun ;  he  generally  says,  "the  chair,"  which 
means  the  presiding  officer  of  the  assembly, 
regardless  of  whether  his  position  is  perma- 
nent or  temporary.  If  his  position  is  only 
temporary  he  is  called  the  chairman. 

His  duties  are  generally  as  follows :  To  open 
the  session  at  the  time  at  which  the  assembly 
is  to  meet,  by  taking  the  chair  and  calling  the 
members  to  order;  to  announce  the  business 
before  the  assembly  in  the  order  in  w^hich  it  is 
to  be  acted  upon  [65]  ;  to  recognize  members 
entitled  to  the  floor  [3]  ;  to  state  [6]  and  to 
put  to  vote  [9]  all  questions  which  are  regu- 


§  58]  CHAIRMAN    OR    PRESIDENT  237 

larly  moved,  or  necessarily  arise  in  the  course 
of  the  proceedings,  and  to  announce  the  result 
of  the  vote;  to  protect  the  assembly  from  an- 
noyance from  evidently  frivolous  or  dilatory 
motions  by  refusing  to  recognize  them  [40]  ; 
to  assist  in  the  expediting  of  business  in  every 
way  compatible  with  the  rights  of  the  mem- 
bers, as  by  allowing  brief  remarks  when  unde- 
batable  motions  are  pending,  if  he  thinks  it 
advisable;  to  restrain  the  members  when  en- 
gaged in  debate,  within  the  rules  of  order;  to 
enforce  on  all  occasions  the  observance  of  or- 
der and  decorum  among  the  members,  decid- 
ing all  questions  of  order  (subject  to  an  appeal 
to  the  assembly  by  any  two  members)  unless 
when  in  doubt  he  prefers  to  submit  the  ques- 
tion for  the  decision  of  the  assembly  [21]  ;  to 
inform  the  assembly,  when  necessary,  or  when 
referred  to  for  the  purpose,  on  a  point  of  order 
or  practice  pertinent  to  pending  business ;  to 
authenticate,  by  his  signature,  when  necessary, 
all  the  acts,  orders,  and  proceedings  of  the 
assembly  declaring  its  will  and  in  all  things 
obeying  its  commands. 

In  case  of  fire,  riot,  or  very  serious  disorder, 
or  other  great  emergency,  the  chair  has  the 
right  and  the  duty  to  declare  the  assembly  ad- 
journed to  some  other  time  (and  place  if 
necessary),  if  it  is  impracticable  to  take  a  vote, 
or  in  his  opinion,  dangerous  to  delay  for 
a  vote. 

The  chairman  should  rise  to  put  a  question 


238  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  58 

to  vote,  except  in  very  small  assemblies,  such 
as  boards  or  committees,  but  may  state  it  sit- 
ting; he  should  also  rise  from  his  seat  (with- 
out calling  any  one  to  the  chair)  when  giving 
his  reasons  for  his  decision  upon  a  point  of 
order,  or  when  speaking  upon  an  appeal, 
which  he  can  do  in  preference  to  other  mem- 
bers. During  debate  he  should  be  seated  and 
pay  attention  to  the  speaker,  who  is  required 
to  address  his  remarks  to  the  presiding  officer. 
He  should  always  refer  to  himself  as  "the 
chair,"  thus,  ''The  chair  decides,"  etc.,  not  "I 
decide,"  etc.  When  a  member  has  the  floor, 
the  chairman  cannot  interrupt  him  excepting 
as  provided  in  3,  so  long  as  he  does  not  trans- 
gress any  of  the  rules  of  the  assembly. 

If  a  member  of  the  assembly,  he  is  entitled 
to  vote  when  the  vote  is  by  ballot  (but  not 
after  the  tellers  have  commenced  to  count  the 
ballots),  and  in  all  other  cases  where  the  vote 
would  change  the  result.  Thus,  in  a  case 
where  a  two-thirds  vote  is  necessary,  and  his 
vote  thrown  with  the  minority  would  prevent 
the  adoption  of  the  question,  he  can  cast  his 
vote;  so,  also,  he  can  vote  with  the  minority 
when  it  will  produce  a  tie  vote  and  thus  cause 
the  motion  to  fail;  but  he  cannot  vote  twice, 
first  to  make  a  tie,  and  then  to  give  the  casting 
vote.  Whenever  a  motion  is  made  referring 
to  the  chairman  only,  or  which  compliments  or 
condemns  him  with  others,  it  should  be  put  to 
vote  by  the  Vice  President  if  in  the  room,  or 


§  58]  CHAIRMAN    OR    PRESIDENT  239 

by  the  Secretary,  or  on  their  failure  to  do  so, 
by  the  maker  of  the  motion.  The  chair  should 
not  hesitate  to  put  the  question  on  a  motion  to 
appoint  delegates  or  a  committee  on  account 
of  his  being  included. 

The  chairman  cannot  close  debate  unless  by 
order  of  the  assembly,  which  requires  a  two- 
thirds  vote;  nor  can  he  prevent  the  making  of 
legitimate  motions  by  hurrying  through  the 
proceedings.  If  members  are  reasonably 
prompt  in  exercising  their  right  to  speak  or 
make  motions,  the  chair  cannot  prevent  their 
doing  so.  If  he  has  hurriedly  taken  and  an- 
nounced a  vote  while  a  member  is  rising  to 
address  the  chair,  the  vote  is  null  and  void, 
and  the  member  must  be  recognized.  On  the 
other  hand  the  chairman  should  not  permit  the 
object  of  a  meeting  to  be  defeated  by  a  few 
factious  persons  using  parliamentary  forms 
with  the  evident  object  of  obstructing  business. 
In  such  a  case  he  should  refuse  to  entertain 
the  dilatory  or  frivolous  motion,  and,  if  an 
appeal  is  taken,  he  should  entertain  it,  and,  if 
sustained  by  a  large  majority  he  may  after- 
wards refuse  to  entertain  even  an  appeal  made 
by  the  faction  when  evidently  made  merely  to 
obstruct  business.  But  the  chair  should  never 
adopt  such  a  course  merely  to  expedite  busi- 
ness, when  the  opposition  is  not  factious.  It 
is  only  justifiable  when  it  is  perfectly  clear 
that  the  opposition  is  trying  to  obstruct  busi- 
ness.    [See  Dilatory  Motions,  40]. 


240  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  58 

If  it  is  necessary  for  the  chairman  to  vacate 
the  chair  the  first  Vice  President,  if  there  is 
one,  should  take  the  chair,  and  in  his  absence 
the  next  one  in  order  should  take  it.  If  there 
is  no  vice  president  in  the  hall,  then  the  chair- 
man may,  if  it  is  necessary  to  vacate  the  chair, 
appoint  a  chairman  pro  tent.,  but  the  first  ad- 
journment puts  an  end  to  the  appointment, 
which  the  assembly  can  terminate  before,  if  it 
pleases,  by  electing  another  chairman.  But  the 
regular  chairman,  knowing  that  he  will  be 
absent  from  a  future  meeting,  cannot  author- 
ize another  member  to  act  in  his  place  at  such 
meeting ;  the  secretary,  or,  in  his  absence,  some 
other  member  should  in  such  case  call  the 
meeting  to  order,  and  a  chairman  pro  tern,  be 
elected  who  would  hold  office  during  that  ses- 
sion, unless  such  office  is  terminated  by  the 
entrance  of  the  president  or  a  vice  president, 
or  by  the  election  of  another  chairman  pro 
tern.,  which  may  be  done  by  a  majority  vote. 

The  chairman  sometimes  calls  a  member  to  the  chair 
and  takes  part  in  the  debate.  This  should  rarely  be 
done,  and  nothing  can  justify  it  in  a  case  where  much 
feeling  is  shown  and  there  is  a  liability  to  difficulty 
in  preserving  order.  If  the  chairman  has  even  the 
appearance  of  being  a  partisan,  he  loses  much  of  his 
ability  to  control  those  who  are  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  question.  There  is  nothing  to  justify  the  un- 
fortunate habit  some  chairmen  have  of  constantly 
speaking  on  questions  before  the  assembly,  even 
interrupting  the  member  who  has  the  floor.  One  who 
expects  to  take  an  active  part  in  debate  should  never 
accept  the  chair,  or  at  least  should  not  resume  the 
chair,  after  having  made  his  speech,  until  after  the 


§58] 


CHAIRMAN    OR    PRtlSIDENT  24 1 


pending  question  is  disposed  of.*  The  presiding 
oflficer  of  a  large  assembly  should  never  be  chosen  for 
any  reason  except  his  ability  to  preside. 

The  chairman  should  not  only  be  familiar  with 
parliamentary  usage,  and  set  the  example  of  strict 
conformity  thereto,  but  he  should  be  a  man  of  execu- 
tive ability,  capable  of  controlling  men.  He  should 
set  an  example  of  courtesy,  and  should  never  forget 
that  to  control  others  it  is  necessary  to  control  one's 
self.  A  nervous,  excited  chairman  can  scarcely  fail 
to  cause  trouble  in  a  meeting.  No  rules  will  take  the 
place  of  tact  and  common  sense  on  the  part  of  the 
chairman.  While  usually  he  need  not  wait  for  motions 
of  routine,  or  for  a  motion  to  be  seconded  when  he 
knows  it  is  favored  by  others,  yet  if  this  is  objected 
to.  it  is  safer  instantly  to  require  the  forms  of  parlia- 
mentary law  to  be  observed.  By  general  consent  many 
things  can  be  done  that  will  save  much  time  [see 
page  202],  but  where  the  assembly  is  very  large,  or  is 
divided  and  contains  members  who  are  habitually 
raising  points  of  order,  the  most  expeditious  and  safe 
course  is  to  enforce  strictly  all  the  rules  and  forms  of 
parliamentary  law.  He  should  be  specially  careful 
after  every  motion  is  made  and  every  vote  is  taken  to 
announce  the  next  business  in  order.  Whenever  an 
improper  motion  is  made,  instead  of  simply  ruling  it 
out  of  order,  it  is  well  for  the  chairman  to  suggest 
how  the  desired  object  can  be  accomplished.  [See 
"Hints  to  Inexperienced  Chairman"  below.] 

The  by-laws  sometimes  state  that  the  president 
shall  appoint  all  committees.    In  such  case  the  assembly 

*  •'Though  the  Speaker  (Chairman)  may  of  right  speak 
to  matters  of  order  and  he  first  heard,  he  is  restrained 
from  speaking  on  any  other  subject  except  where  the 
House  have  occasion  for  facts  within  his  knowledge  :  then 
he  may,  with  their  leave,  state  the  matter  of  fact." 
[Jefferson's   Manual,   sec.   XVII.] 

"It  is  a  general  rule  in  all  deliberative  assemblies,  that 
the  presiding  officer  shall  not  participate  in  the  debate, 
or  other  proceedings,  in  any  other  capacity  than  as  such 
officer.  He  is  only  allowed,  therefore,  to  state  matters  of 
fact  within  his  knowledge ;  to  inform  the  asseml)ly  on 
points  of  order  or  the  course  of  proceeding,  when  called 
upon  for  that  purpose,  or  when  he  finds  it  necessary  to 
do  so  ;  and,  on  appeals  from  his  decision  ou  questions  of 
order,  to  address  the  assembly  in  debate.  [Cushing's 
Mauual,  §202.] 


242  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§58 

may  authorize  committees,  but  cannot  appoint  or 
nominate  them.  The  president,  however,  cannot  ap- 
point any  committees  except  those  authorized  by  the 
by-laws  or  by  a  vote  of  the  assembly.  Sometimes  the 
by-laws  make  the  president  ex-officio  a  member  of 
every  committee.  Where  this  is  done  he  has  the  rights 
of  other  members  of  the  committees  but  not  the  obli- 
gation to  attend  every  committee  meeting.     [See  51.] 

A  chairman  will  often  find  himself  perplexed  with 
the  difficulties  attending  his  position,  and  in  such  cases 
he  will  do  well  to  remember  that  parliamentary  law 
was  made  for  deliberative  assemblies,  and  not  the 
assemblies  for  parliamentary  law.  This  is  well  ex- 
pressed by  a  distinguished  EngHsh  writer  on  parlia- 
mentary law,  thus :  "The  great  purpose  of  all  rules 
and  forms  is  to  subserve  the  zi'ill  of  the  assembly 
rather  than  to  restrain  it;  to  facilitate,  and  not  to 
obstruct,  the  expression  of  their  deliberative  sense." 

Additional  Duties  of  the  President  of  a  Society, 
and  the  Vice  Presidents.  In  addition  to  his  duties  as 
presiding  officer,  in  many  societies  the  president  has 
duties  as  an  administrative  or  executive  officer.  Where 
this  is  desired,  the  by-laws  should  clearly  set  forth 
these  duties,  as  they  are  outside  of  his  duties  as  pre- 
siding officer  of  the  assembly,  and  do  not  come  within 
the  scope  of  parliamentary  law. 

The  same  is  true  of  vice  presidents.  Sometimes 
they  have  charge  of  different  departments  of  work, 
and  they  should  be  chosen  with  those  duties  in  view 
as  prescribed  by  the  by-laws.  It  must  not  be  forgotten 
that  in  the  case  of  the  absence  of  the  president  the 
first  vice  president  must  preside,  and  in  case  of  the 
illness  or  resignation  or  death  of  the  president  that  the 
first  vice  president  becomes  president  for  the  unex- 
pired term,  unless  the  rules  specify  how  vacancies 
shall  be  filled.  In  such  case  the  second  vice  president 
becomes  the  first,  and  so  on.  It  is  a  mistake  to  elect 
a  vice  president  who  is  not  competent  to  perform  the 
duties  of  president. 

Hints  to  Inexperienced  Chairmen.  While  in  the 
chair,  have  beside  you  your  Constitution,  By-laws,  and 
Rules  of  Order,  which  should  be  studied  until  you  are 
perfectly  familiar  with  them.  You  cannot  tell  the 
moment  you  may  need  this  knowledge.    If  a  member 


§581 


CHAIKXAN    OR    PRESIDENT  243 


asks  what  motion  to  make  in  order  to  attain  a  cer- 
tain object,  you  should  be  able  to  tell  him  at  once. 
[10.]  You  should  memorize  the  list  of  ordinary 
motions  arranged  in  their  order  of  precedence  [page 
7],  and  should  be  able  to  refer  to  the  Table  of  Rules 
[page  8]  so  quickly  that  there  will  be  no  delay  in 
deciding  all  points  contained  in  it.  Become  familiar 
\vith  the  first  ten  sections  of  these  Rules;  they  are 
simple,  and  will  enable  you  more  quickly  to  master 
parliamentary  law.  Read  carefully  sections  69-71,  so 
as  to  become  accustomed  to  the  ordinary  methods  of 
conducting  business  in  deliberative  assemblies.  Notice 
that  there  are  different  w^ays  of  doing  the  same  thing, 
all  of  which  are  allowable. 

You  should  know  all  the  business  to  come  regularly 
before  the  meeting,  and  call  for  it  in  its  regular  order. 
Have  with  you  a  list  of  members  of  all  committees,  to 
guide  you  in  nominating  new  committees. 

When  a  motion  is  made,  do  not  recognize  any  mem- 
ber or  allow  any  one  to  speak  until  the  motion  is 
seconded  and  you  have  stated  the  question;  or,  in  case 
of  there  being  no  second  and  no  response  to  your  call 
for  a  second,  until  you  have  announced  that  fact ; 
except  in  case  of  a  main  motion  before  it  is  seconded 
or  stated  some  one  rises  and  says  he  rises  to  move  a 
reconsideration,  or  to  call  up  the  motion  to  reconsider, 
or  to  move  to  take  a  question  from  the  table.  In  any 
of  these  cases  you  should  recognize  the  interrupting 
member  as  entitled  to  the  floor  [3].  If  you  have  made 
a  mistake  and  assigned  the  floor  to  the  wrong  person, 
or  recognized  a  motion  that  was  not  in  order,  correct 
the  error  as  soon  as  your  attention  is  called  to  it.  So, 
when  a  vote  is  taken,  announce  the  result  and  also 
what  question,  if  any,  is  then  pending,  before  recogniz- 
ing any  member  that  addresses  the  chair.  Never  w^ait 
for  mere  routine  motions  to  be  seconded,  when  you 
know  no  one  objects  to  them.     [See  8.] 

If  a  member  ignorantly  makes  an  improper  motion, 
do  not  rule  it  out  of  order,  but  courteously  suggest  the 
proper  one.  If  it  is  moved  "to  lay  the  question  on  the 
table  until  3  p.  m.,"  as  the  motion  is  improper,  ask  if 
the  intention  is  "to  postpone  the  question  to  3  p.  m.  ;" 
if  the  answer  is  yes,  then  state  that  the  question  is  on 
the  postponement  to  that  time.    If  it  is  moved  simply 


244  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  59 

"to  postpone  the  question,"  without  stating  the  time, 
do  not  rule  it  out  of  order,  but  ask  the  mover  if  he 
wishes  "to  postpone  the  question  indefinitely"  (which 
kills  it),  or  "to  lay  it  on  the  table"  (which  enables  it 
to  be  taken  up  at  any  other  time)  ;  then  state  the 
question  in  accordance  with  the  motion  he  intended  to 
make.  So,  if  after  a  report  has  been  presented  and 
read,  a  member  moves  that  "it  be  received,"  ask  him  if 
he  means  to  move  "its  adoption"  (or  "acceptance," 
which  is  the  same  thing),  as  the  report  has  been 
already  received.  No  vote  should  be  taken  on  receiv- 
ing a  report,  which  merely  brings  it  before  the  assem- 
bly, and  allows  it  to  be  read,  unless  some  one  objects 
to  its  reception. 

The  chairman  of  a  committee  usually  has  the  most 
to  say  in  reference  to  questions  before  the  committee ; 
but  the  chairman  of  an  ordinary  deliberative  assembly, 
especially  a  large  one,  should,  of  all  the  members,  have 
the  least  to  say  upon  the  merits  of  pending  questions. 

Never  interrupt  members  while  speaking,  simply 
because  you  know  more  about  the  matter  than  they 
do;  never  get  excited;  never  be  unjust  to  the  most 
troublesome  member,  or  take  advantage  of  his  igno- 
rance of  parliamentary  law,  even  though  a  temporary 
good  is  accomplished  thereby. 

Know  all  about  parliamentary  law,  but  do  not  try  to 
show  off  your  knowledge.  Never  be  technical,  or 
more  strict  than  is  absolutely  necessary  for  the  good 
of  the  meeting.  Use  your  judgment;  the  assembly 
may  be  of  such  a  nature  through  its  ignorance  of 
parliamentary  usages  and  peaceable  disposition,  that  a 
strict  enforcement  of  the  rules,  instead  of  assisting, 
would  greatly  hinder  business  ;  but  in  large  assemblies, 
where  there  is.  much  work  to  be  done,  and  especially 
where  there  is  liability  to  trouble,  the  only  safe  course 
is  to  require  a  strict  observance  of  the  rules. 

59.  Secretary,  or  Clerk.  The  recording 
officer  is  variously  called  Clerk,  or  Secretary, 
or  Recording  Secretary  (where  there  is  also 
a  Corresponding  Secretary),  or  Recorder,  or 
Scribe,  etc.     The  secretary  is  the  recording 


§  59]  SECRETARY    OR    CLERK  245 

officer  of  the  assembly  and  the  custodian  of 
its  records  except  such  as  are  specifically  as- 
signed to  others,  as  the  treasurer's  books. 
These  records  are  open,  however,  to  inspection 
by  any  member  at  reasonable  times,  and  where 
a  committee  needs  any  records  of  a  society 
for  the  proper  performance  of  its  duties,  they 
should  be  turned  over  to  its  chairman.  The 
same  principle  applies  in  boards  and  com- 
mittees, their  records  being  accessible  to  mem- 
bers of  the  board  or  committee,  as  the  case 
may  be,  but  to  no  others. 

In  addition  to  keeping  the  records  of  the 
society  and  the  minutes  of  the  meetings,  it  is 
the  duty  of  the  secretary  to  keep  a  register, 
or  roll,  of  the  members  and  to  call  the  roll 
when  required ;  to  notify  officers,  committees, 
and  delegates  of  their  appointment,  and  to 
furnish  committees  with  all  papers  referred  to 
them,  and  delegates  with  credentials ;  and  to 
sign  with  the  president  all  orders  on  the  treas- 
urer authorized  by  the  society,  unless  other- 
wise specified  in  the  by-laws.  He  should  also 
keep  one  book  in  which  the  constitution,  by- 
laws, rules  of  order,  and  standing  rules  should 
all  be  written,  leaving  every  other  page  blank ; 
and  whenever  an  amendment  is  made  to  any 
of  them,  in  addition  to  being  recorded  in  the 
minutes  it  should  be  immediately  entered  on 
the  page  opposite  to  the  article  amended,  with 
a  reference,  in  red  ink,  to  the  date  and  page 
of  the  minutes  where  it  is  recorded. 


246  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  59 

In  addition  to  the  above  duties,  when  there 
is  only  one  secretary,  it  is  his  duty  to  send  out 
proper  notices  of  all  called  meetings,  and  of 
other  meetings  when  necessary,  and  to  con- 
duct the  correspondence  of  the  society,  except 
as  otherwise  provided.  Where  there  is  a  Cor- 
responding Secretary  these  duties  devolve  on 
him,  as  well  as  such  others  as  are  prescribed 
by  the  by-laws.  The  by-laws  should  always 
clearly  define  the  additional  duties  of  the  cor- 
responding secretary  if  any  are  to  be  imposed 
on  him.  When  the  word  ''secretary"  is  used 
it  always  refers  to  the  recording  secretary  if 
there  is  more  than  one. 

The  secretary  should,  previous  to  each  meet- 
ing, for  the  use  of  the  chairman,  make  out  an 
order  of  business  [65],  showing  in  their  exact 
order  what  is  necessarily  to  come  before  the 
assembly.  He  should  also  have,  at  each  meet- 
ing, a  list  of  all  standing  committees,  and  such 
special  committees  as  are  in  existence  at  the 
time,  as  well  as  the  by-laws  of  the  organization 
and  its  minutes.  His  desk  should  be  near  that 
of  the  chairman,  and  in  the  absence  of  the 
chairman  (if  there  is  no  vice  president  pres- 
ent), when  the  hour  for  opening  the  session 
arrives,  it  is  his  duty  to  call  the  meeting  to 
order,  and  to  preside  until  the  election  of  a 
chairman  pro  tern.,  which  should  take  place 
immediately.  He  should  keep  a  record  of  the 
proceedings,  stating  what  was  done  and  not 
what  was  said,  unless  it  is  to  be  published, 


§6o]  THE    MINUTES  247 

and  never  making  criticisms,  favorable  or 
otherwise,  on  anything  said  or  done.  This 
record,  usually  called  the  minutes,  is  kept  as 
explained  in  the  next  section.  When  a  com- 
mittee is  appointed,  the  secretary  should  hand 
the  names  of  the  committee,  and  all  papers 
referred  to  it,  to  the  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee, or  some  other  of  its  members.  He 
should  indorse  on  the  reports  of  commit- 
tees the  date  of  their  reception,  and  what 
further  action  was  taken  upon  them,  and  pre- 
serve them  among  the  records,  for  which  he 
is  responsible.  It  is  not  necessary  to  vote 
that  a  report  be  ''placed  on  file,"  as  that 
should  be  done  without  a  vote,  except  in  or- 
ganizations that  habitually  keep  no  records 
except  their  minutes  and  papers  ordered  on  file. 

60.  The  Minutes.  The  record  of  the  proceed- 
ings of  a  deliberative  assembly  is  usually  called  the 
Minutes,  or  the  Record,  or  the  Journal.  The  essen- 
tials of  the  record  are  as  follows:  (a)  the  kind  of 
meeting,  "regular"  (or  stated)  or  "special,"  or  "ad- 
journed regular"  or  "adjourned  special";  (b)  name 
of  the  assembly;  (c)  date  of  meeting  and  place,  when 
it  is  not  always  the  same;  (d)  the  fact  of  the  presence 
of  the  regular  chairman  and  secretary,  or  in  their 
absence  the  names  of  their  substitutes;  (e)  whether 
the  minutes  of  the  previous  meeting  were  approved,  or 
their  reading  dispensed  with,  the  dates  of  the  meetings 
being  given  when  it  is  customary  to  occasionally  trans- 
act business  at  other  than  the  regular  business  meet- 
ings;  (/)  all  the  main  motions  (except  such  as  were 
withdrawn)  and  points  of  order  and  appeals,  whether 
sustained  or  lost,  and  all  other  motions  that  were  not 
lost  or  withdrawn;  (g)  and  usually  the  hours  of  meet- 
ing and  adjournment,  when  the  meeting  is  solely  for 
business.      Generally    the    name    is    recorded    of    the 


248  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  60 

member  who  introduced  a  main  motion,  but  not  of  the 
seconder. 

In  some  societies  the  minutes  are  signed  by  the 
president  in  addition  to  the  secretary,  and  when  pub- 
lished they  should  always  be  signed  by  both  officers. 
If  minutes  are  not  habitually  approved  at  the  next 
meeting,  then  there  should  be  written  at  the  end  of 
the  minutes  the  word  "Approved"  and  the  date  of  the 
approval,  which  should  be  signed  by  the  secretary. 
They  should  be  entered  in  good  black  ink  in  a  well- 
bound  record-book.* 

The  Form  of  the  Minutes  may  be  as  follows : 
At  a  regular  meeting  of  the  M.  L.  Society,  held  in 
their  hall,  on  Thursday  evening,  March  19,  1914,  the 
president  in  the  chair,  and  Mr.  N  acting  as  secretary, 
the  minutes  of  the  previous  meeting  were  read  and 
approved.  The  Committee  on  Applications  reported 
the  names  of  Messrs.  C  and  D  as  applicants  for 
membership,  and  on  motion  of  Mr.  F  they  were  ad- 
mitted as  members.    The  committee  on  

reported  through  Mr,  G  a  series  of  resolutions,  which 
were  thoroughly  discussed  and  amended,  and  finally 
adopted,  as  follows : 
Resolved,  That 

On  motion  of  Mr.  L  the  society  adjourned  at  10  p.  m. 
R N 

Secretary. 

In  keeping  the  minutes,  much  depends  upon  the 
kind  of  meeting,  and  whether  the  minutes  are  to  be 
published.  In  the  meetings  of  ordinary  societies  and 
of  boards  of  managers  and  trustees,  there  is  no  object 
in  reporting  the  debates ;  the  duty  of  the  secretary,  in 
such  cases,  is  mainly  to  record  what  is  "done"  by  the 

*  In  many  organizations  it  is  preferable  for  the  secre- 
tary to  keep  his  original  pencil  notes  in  a  pocket  memo- 
randum book  which  he  carries  to  everj'  meeting,  and  these 
original  notes,  as  corrected,  are  approved  and  then  copied 
into  the  permanent  records.  This  plan  usually  results  in 
neater  records,  but  the  original  notes  should  be  kept 
until  they  are  carefully  compared  with  the  permanent 
records.  In  such  case  it  is  better  to  have  the  minutes 
signed  by  both  president  and  secretary  as  a  guarantee 
against  errors  in  copying. 


§  6o]  THE    MINUTES  249 

assembly,  and  not  what  is  said  by  the  members.  He 
should  enter  the  essentials  of  a  record,  as  previously 
stated,  and  when  a  count  has  been  ordered  or  where 
the  vote  is  by  ballot,  he  should  enter  the  number  of 
votes  on  each  side;  and  when  the  voting  is  by  yeas 
and  nays  he  should  enter  a  list  of  the  names  of  those 
voting  on  each  side.  The  proceedings  of  the  commit- 
tee of  the  whole,  or  while  acting  as  if  in  committee  of 
the  whole,  should  not  be  entered  in  the  minutes,  but 
the  report  of  the  committee  should  be  entered.  When 
a  question  is  considered  informally,  the  proceedings 
should  be  kept  as  usual,  as  the  only  informality  is  in 
the  debate.  If  a  report  containing  resolutions  has 
been  agreed  to,  the  resolutions  should  be  entered  in 
full  as  finally  adopted  by  the  assembly,  thus  :    "The 

committee  on submitted  a  report  with  a 

series  of  resolutions  which,  after  discussion  and 
amendment,  were  adopted  as  follows :''  then  should 
be  entered  the  resolutions  as  adopted.  Where  the  pro- 
ceedings are  published,  the  method  shown  further  on 
should  be  followed.  If  the  report  is  of  great  impor- 
tance the  assembly  should  order  it  "to  be  entered  on 
the  minutes,"  in  which  case  the  secretary  copies  it  in 
full  upon  the  record. 

Where  the  regular  meetings  are  held  weekly, 
monthly,  or  quarterly,  the  minutes  are  read  at  the 
opening  of  each  day's  meeting,  and.  after  correction, 
should  be  approved.  Where  the  meetings  are  held 
several  days  in  succession  with  recesses  during  the 
day,  the  minutes  are  read  at  the  opening  of  business 
each  day.  If  the  next  meeting  of  the  organization  will 
not  be  held  for  a  long  period,  as  six  months  or  a  year, 
the  minutes  that  have  not  been  read  previou.-ly  should 
be  read  and  approved  before  final  adjournment.  If 
this  is  impracticable,  then  the  executive  committee,  or 
a  special  committee,  should  be  authorized  to  correct 
and  approve  them.  In  this  case  the  record  should  be 
signed  as  usual,  and  after  the  signatures  the  word 
"Approved,"  with  the  date  and  the  signature  of  the 
chairman  of  the  committee  authorized  to  approve 
them.  At  the  next  meeting,  six  months  later,  they 
need  not  be  read,  unless  it  is  desired  for  information, 
as  it  is  too  late  to  correct  them  intelligently.  When 
the  reading  of  the  minutes  is  dispensed  with  tney  can 


250  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  6l 

afterwards  be  taken  up  at  any  time  when  nothing  is 
pending.  If  not  taken  up  previously,  they  come  before 
the  assembly  at  the  next  meeting  before  the  reading 
of  the  later  minutes.  With  this  exception  the  motion 
to  dispense  with  reading  the  minutes  is  practically 
identical  with  the  motion  to  lay  the  minutes  on  the 
table,  being  undebatable  and  requiring  only  a  majority 
vote.  The  minutes  of  a  secret  meeting,  as  for  the 
trial  of  a  member,  should  not  be  read  at  a  meeting 
that  is  open  to  the  pubHc,  if  the  record  contains  any 
of  the  details  of  the  trial  that  should  not  be  made 
public. 

Minutes  to  he  Published.  When  the  minutes  are  to 
be  published,  in  addition  to  the  strict  record  of  what 
is  done,  as  heretofore  described,  they  should  contain  a 
list  of  the  speakers  on  each  side  of  every  question, 
with  an  abstract  of  all  addresses,  if  not  the  addresses 
in  full,  when  written  copies  are  furnished.  In  this  case 
the  secretary  should  have  an  assistant.  With  some 
annual  conventions  it  is  desired  to  publish  the  proceed- 
ings in  full.  In  such  cases  it  is  necessary  to  employ  a 
stenographer  as  assistant  to  the  secretary.  Reports  of 
committees  should  be  printed  exactly  as  submitted,  the 
minutes  showing  what  action  was  taken  by  the  assem- 
bly in  regard  to  them ;  or,  they  may  be  printed  with  all 
additions  in  italics  and  parts  struck  out  enclosed  in 
brackets,  in  w'hich  case  a  note  to  that  effect  should 
precede  the  report  or  resolutions.  In  this  w^ay  the 
reader  can  see  exactly  what  the  committee  reported 
and  also  exactly  what  the  assembly  adopted  or  en- 
dorsed. 

61.  The  Executive  Secretary  is  usually  a  salaried 
officer  paid  to  give  up  all  his  time  to  the  w^ork  as 
executive  officer,  or  general  manager,  of  an  organiza- 
tion under  a  board  of  managers  and  an  executive 
committee  [50].  In  some  organizations  this  officer  is 
called  Corresponding  Secretary,  but  the  title  of  corre- 
sponding secretary  does  not  carry  with  it  any  duty 
except  that  of  conducting  the  correspondence  of  the 
society  as  explained  on  page  246.  unless  it  is  prescribed 
by  the  by-laws.  The  office  of  the  executive  secretary 
is  usually  the  only  office  of  the  organization,  and  there 
the  Executive  Committee  meets  and  transacts  its  busi- 
ness.   The  board  of  managers  in  such  cases  is  usually 


§62]  TREASURER  25 1 

large  and  so  scattered  as  never  to  have  regular  meet- 
ings oftener  than  quarterly.  When  the  organization 
is  a  national  one  it  usually  meets  just  before  the  an- 
nual convention,  when  it  hears  the  annual  report, 
prepared  by  the  executive  secretary  and  previously 
adopted  by  the  executive  committee,  and  acts  upon  it. 
The  new  board  meets  immediately  after  the  conven- 
tion, and  organizes,  elects  an  executive  committee  and 
an  executive  secretary,  when  so  authorized  by  the  by- 
laws, and  decides  upon  the  general  policy  for  the  year, 
leaving  the  details  to  the  executive  committee  and  the 
executive  secretary.  The  board  rarely  meets  oftener 
than  once  or  twice  in  addition  to  the  meetings  in 
connection  with  the  annual  meeting,  special  meetings, 
however,  being  called,  when  required,  as  provided  by 
its  by-laws.  In  some  organizations  the  executive  sec- 
retary is  elected  by  the  convention.  He  is  usually 
ex-officio  secretary  of  the  executive  committee.  The 
members  of  the  executive  committee  giving  their  time 
gratuitously,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  executive  secretary 
to  prepare  for  the  committee  all  business  that  has  not 
been  assigned  to  others,  and  to  see  that  all  its  instruc- 
tions are  carried  out.  He  is  expected  to  recommend 
plans  of  work  and  conduct  the  business  generally, 
under  the  executive  committee,  and  prepare  the  annual 
report,  which,  after  being  adopted  by  the  executive 
committee,  should  be  adopted  by  the  board,  whose 
report  it  is,  and  then  be  submitted  to  the  convention. 

62.  Treasurer.  The  duties  of  this  ofificer 
vary  in  different  societies.  In  probably  the 
majority  of  cases  he  acts  as  a  banker,  merely 
holding  the  funds  deposited  with  him  and  pay- 
ing them  out  on  the  order  of  the  society  signed 
by  the  president  and  the  secretary.  He  is 
always  required  to  make  an  annual  report,  and 
in  many  societies  he  also  makes  a  quarterly 
report  which  may  be  in  the  form  given  below. 
If  the  society  has  auditors  the  report  should 
be  handed  to  them,  with  the  vouchers,  in  time 


252  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  62 

to  be  audited  before  the  meeting.  The  audi- 
tors having  certified  to  its  correctness,  submit 
their  report,  and  the  chair  puts  the  question 
on  adopting  it,  which  has  the  effect  of  approv- 
ing the  treasurer's  report,  and  reheving  him 
from  responsibiHty  in  case  of  loss  of  vouch- 
ers, except  in  case  of  fraud.  If  there  are  no 
auditors  the  report  when  made  should  be  re- 
ferred to  an  auditing  committee,  who  should 
report  on  it  later. 

It  should  always  be  remembered  that  the 
financial  report  is  made  for  the  information  of 
members.  The  details  of  dates  and  separate 
payments  for  the  same  object  are  a  hindrance 
to  its  being  understood,  and  are  useless,  as  it 
is  the  duty  of  the  auditing  committee  to  ex- 
amine into  details  and  see  if  the  report  is  cor- 
rect. The  best  form  for  these  financial  reports 
depends  upon  the  kind  of  society,  and  is  best 
determined  by  examining  those  made  in  simi- 
lar societies.  The  following  brief  report  is  in 
a  form  adapted  to  many  societies  where  the 
financial  work  is  a  very  subordinate  part  of 
their  work : 

REPORT  OF  THE  TREASURER  OF  THE  M.  L.  SOCIETY 
FOR  THE  QUARTER  ENDING  MARCH  31,   1914. 

Receipts. 

Balance  on  hand  January  1,  1914 $  25.75 

Initiation  fees  $  50.00 

Members'  dues   150.00 

Fines  10.50      210.50 

Total $236.25 


§63]  SESSION  253 


Disbursements. 

Rent  of  Hall $  80.00 

Electric  lights 22.00 

Stationery  and  Printing 15.00 

Repair  of  Furniture 10.00 

Janitor  60.00    $187.00 


Balance  on  hand  March  31.  1914..  49.25 


Total $236.25 

S M , 

Treasurer 

Examined  and  found  correct. 

R  V  ) 

y T LA.uditing  Committee. 


Art.  XL      Miscellaneous. 

PACE 

63.  Session    253 

64.  Quorum    257 

65.  Order   of    Business 261 

66.  Nominations  and   Elections 263 

67.  Constitutions.    By-laws,    Rules   of  Order. 

and    Standing   Rules 264 

68.  Amendments     of      Constitutions.      Bv-laws, 

and  Rules  of  Order 269 

63.  A  Session  of  an  assembly  is  a  meeting 
which,  though  it  may  last  for  days,  is  virtually 
one  meeting^  as  a  session  of  a  convention ;  or 
even  months,  as  a  session  of  Congress ;  it  ter- 
minates by  an  ''adjournment  sine  die  (without 
day)."  The  intermediate  adjournments  from 
day  to  day,  or  the  recesses  taken  during  the 
day,  do  not  destroy  the  continuit>  ui  the  meet- 
ings, which  in  reality  constitute  one  session. 


254  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§^3 

Any  meeting  which  is  not  an  adjournment  of 
another  meeting  commences  a  new  session.  In 
the  case  of  a  permanent  society,  whose  by-laws 
provide  for  regular  meetings  every  week, 
month,  or  year,  for  example,  each  meeting 
constitutes  a  separate  session  of  the  society, 
which  session,  however,  can  be  prolonged  by 
adjourning  to  another  day. 

In  this  Manual  the  term  Meeting  is  used  to 
denote  an  assembling  of  the  members  of  a  de- 
liberative assembly  for  any  length  of  time, 
during  which  there  is  no  separation  of  the 
members  except  for  a  recess  of  a  few  min- 
utes, as  the  morning  meetings,  the  afternoon 
meetings,  and  the  evening  meetings,  of  a  con- 
vention whose  session  lasts  for  days.  A  *'meet- 
ing"  of  an  assembly  is  terminated  by  a  tempo- 
rary adjournment  or  a  recess  for  a  meal,  etc. ; 
a  "session"  of  an  assembly  ends  with  an  ad- 
journment without  day,  and  may  consist  of 
many  meetings.  So  an  adjournment  to  meet 
again  at  some  other  time,  even  the  same  day, 
unless  it  was  for  only  a  few  minutes,  termi- 
nates the  meeting,  but  not  the  session,  which 
latter  includes  all  the  adjourned  meetings.  The 
next  meeting,  in  this  case,  would  be  an  "ad- 
journed meeting"  of  the  same  session. 

In  ordinary  practice  a  meeting  is  closed  by 
moving  simply  "to  adjourn ;"  the  society  meets 
again  at  the  time  provided  either  by  the  rules 
or  by  a  resolution  of  the  society.  If  it  does 
not  meet  till  the  time   for  the  next  regular 


§  63J  SESSION 


-^bb 


meeting  as  provided  in  the  by-laws,  then  the 
adjournment  closes  the  session,  and  was  in 
effect  an  adjournment  without  day.  If,  how- 
ever, it  had  previously  fixed  the  time  for  the 
next  meeting,  either  by  a  direct  vote  or  by 
adopting  a  program  of  exercise  covering  sev- 
eral meetings,  or  even  days,  in  either  case  the 
adjournment  is  in  effect  to  a  certain  time,  and 
while  closing  the  meeting  does  not  close  the 
session. 

In  such  common  expressions  as  quarterly 
meeting  and  annual  meeting  the  word  meeting 
is  used  in  the  sense  of  the  parliamentary  ses- 
sioUf  and  covers  all  the  adjourned  meetings. 
Thus,  business  that  legally  must  be  done  at 
the  annual  meeting  may  be  done  at  any  time 
during  the  session  beginning  at  the  time  spe- 
cified for  the  annual  meeting,  though  the  ses- 
sion, by  repeated  adjournments,  may  last  for 
days.  The  business  may  be  postponed  to  the 
next  regular  meeting,  if  desired. 

Under  Renewal  of  Motions  [38]  is  ex- 
plained what  motions  can  be  repeated  during 
the  same  session,  and  also  the  circumstances 
under  which  certain  motions  cannot  be  re- 
newed until  after  the  close  of  the  next  suc- 
ceeding session. 

A  rule  or  resolution  of  a  permanent  nature 
may  be  adopted  by  a  majority  vote  at  any  ses- 
sion of  a  society,  and  it  will  continue  in  force 
until  it  is  rescinded.  But  such  a  standing  rule 
does  not  materially  interfere  with  the  rights 


256  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§63 

of  a  future  session,  as  by  a  majority  vote  it 
may  be  suspended  so  far  as  it  affects  that  ses- 
sion; and,  it  may  be  rescinded  by  a  majority 
vote,  if  notice  of  the  proposed  action  was 
given  at  a  previous  meeting,  or  in  the  notice 
of  the  meeting ;  or,  without  any  notice,  it  may 
be  rescinded  by  a  majority  of  the  entire  mem- 
bership, or  by  a  two-thirds  vote.  If  it  is 
desired  to  give  greater  stabiHty  to  a  rule  it  is 
necessary  to  place  it  in  the  constitution,  by- 
laws, or  rules  of  order,  all  of  which  are  so 
guarded  by  requiring  notice  of  amendments, 
and  at  least  a  two-thirds  vote  for  their  adop- 
tion, that  they  are  not  subject  to  sudden 
changes,  and  may  be  considered  as  expressing 
the  deliberate  views  of  the  whole  society, 
rather  than  the  opinions  or  wishes  of  any 
particular  meeting. 

In  case  of  the  illness  of  the  presiding  officer 
the  assembly  cannot  elect  a  chairman  pro  tern. 
to  hold  office  beyond  the  session,  unless  notice 
of  the  election  was  given  at  the  previous  meet- 
ing or  in  the  call  for  this  meeting.  So  it  is 
improper  for  an  assembly  to  postpone  anything 
to  a  day  beyond  the  next  succeeding  session, 
and  thus  attempt  to  prevent  the  next  session 
from  considering  the  question.  On  the  other 
hand,  it  is  not  permitted  to  move  the  recon- 
sideration of  a  vote  taken  at  a  previous  session, 
though  the  motion  to  reconsider  can  be  called 
up,  provided  it  was  made  during  the  previous 
session  in  a  society  having  meetings  as  often 


§  64]  QUORUM  257 

as  quarterly.     Committees  can  be   appointed 
to  report  at  a  future  session. 

Note  ox  Session.— In  Congress,  and  in  fact  all 
legislative  bodies,  the  limits  of  the  sessions  are  clearly 
defined ;  but  in  ordinary  societies  having  a  permanent 
existence,  with  regular  meetings  more  or  less  frequent, 
there  appears  to  be  some  confusion  upon  the  subject. 
x\ny  society  is  competent  to  decide  what  shall  consti- 
tute one  of  its  sessions,  but.  where  there  is  no  rule  on 
the  subject,  the  common  parliamentary  law  would 
make  each  of  its  regular  or  special  meetings  a  separate 
session,  as  they  are   regarded  in  this  Manual. 

The  disadvantages  of  a  rule  making  a  session  in- 
clude all  the  meetings  of  an  ordinary  society,  held 
during  a  long  time,  as  one  year,  are  very  great. 
If  an  objection  to  the  consideration  of  a  question 
has  been  sustained,  or  if  a  question  has  been  adopted, 
or  rejected,  or  postponed  indefinitely,  the  question 
cannot  again  be  brought  before  the  assembly  for  its 
consideration  during  the  same  session.  If  a  session 
lasted  for  a  long  period,  a  temporary  majority  could 
forestall  the  permanent  majority,  and  introduce  and 
act  on  a  number  of  questions  favored  by  the  major- 
ity, and  thus  prevent  the  society  from  dealing  with 
those  subjects  for  the  long  period  of  the  session.  If 
members  of  any  society  take  advantage  of  the  freedom 
allowed  by  considering  each  regular  meeting  a  sepa- 
rate session,  and  repeatedly  renew  obnoxious  or  un- 
profitable motions,  the  society  can  adopt  a  rule  prohib- 
iting the  second  introduction  of  any  main  question 
within,  say,  three  months  after  its  rejection,  or  in- 
definite postponiement,  or  after  the  society  has  refused 
to  consider  it.  But  generally  it  is  better  to  suppress 
the  motion  by  refusing  to  consider  it  [23]. 

64.  A  Quorum  of  an  assembly  is  such  a 
number  as  must  be  present  in  order  that 
business  can  be  legally  transacted.  The  quo- 
rum refers  to  the  number  present,  not  to  the 
number  voting.     The  quorum  of  a  mass  meet- 


258  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  64 

ing  is  the  number  present  at  the  time,  as  they 
constitute  the  membership  at  that  time.  The 
quorum  of  a  body  of  delegates,  unless  the  by- 
laws provide  for  a  smaller  quorum,  is  a  ma- 
jority of  the  number  enrolled  as  attending  the 
convention,  not  those  appointed.  The  quorum 
of  any  other  deliberative  assembly  with  an  en- 
rolled membership  (unless  the  by-laws  provide 
for  a  smaller  quorum)  is  a  majority  of  all  the 
members.  In  the  case,  however,  of  a  society, 
like  many  religious  ones,  where  there  are  no 
annual  dues,  and  where  membership  is  for 
life  (unless  it  is  transferred  or  the  names  are 
struck  from  the  roll  by  a  vote  of  the  society) 
the  register  of  members  is  not  reliable  as  a  list 
of  the  bona  fide  members  of  the  society,  and 
in  many  such  societies  it  would  be  impossible 
to  have  present  at  a  business  meeting  a  ma- 
jority of  those  enrolled  as  members.  Where 
such  societies  have  no  by-law  establishing  a 
quorum,  the  quorum  consists  of  those  who 
attend  the  meeting,  provided  it  is  either  a 
stated  meeting  or  one  that  has  been  properly 
called. 

In  all  ordinary  societies  the  by-laws  should 
provide  for  a  quorum  as  large  as  can  be  de- 
pended upon  for  being  present  at  all  meet- 
ings when  the  weather  is  not  exceptionally 
bad.  In  such  an  assembly  the  chairman  should 
not  take  the  chair  until  a  quorum  is  present, 
or  there  is  no  prospect  of  there  being  a  quo- 
rum.   The  only  business  that  can  be  transacted 


§  64]  QUORUM  259 

in  the  absence  of  a  quorum  is  to  take  meas- 
ures to  obtain  a  quorum,  to  fix  the  time  to 
which  to  adjourn,  and  to  adjourn,  or  to  take 
a  recess.  Unanimous  consent  cannot  be  given 
when  a  quorum  is  not  present,  and  a  notice 
given  then  is  not  valid.  In  the  case  of  an  an- 
nual meeting,  where  certain  business  for  the 
year,  as  the  election  of  officers,  must  be  at- 
tended to  during  the  session,  the  meeting 
should  fix  a  time  for  an  adjourned  meeting 
and  then  adjourn. 

In  an  assembly  that  has  the  power  to  compel 
the  attendance  of  its  -members,  if  a  quorum 
is  not  present  at  the  appointed  hour,  the  chair- 
man should  wait  a  few  minutes  before  taking 
the  chair.  In  the  absence  of  a  quorum  such 
an  assembly  may  order  a  call  of  the  house  [41] 
and  thus  compel  attendance  of  absentees,  or 
it  may  adjourn,  providing  for  an  adjourned 
meeting  if  it  pleases. 

In  committee  of  the  whole  the  quorum  is 
the  same  as  in  the  assembly;  if  it  finds  itself 
without  a  quorum  it  can  do  nothing  but  rise 
and  report  to  the  assembly,  which  then  ad- 
journs. In  any  other  committee  the  majority 
is  a  quorum,  unless  the  assembly  order  other- 
wise, and  it  must  wait  for  a  quorum  before 
proceeding  to  business.  Boards  of  trustees, 
managers,  directors,  etc.,  are  on  the  same  foot- 
ing as  committees  as  regards  a  quorum.  Their 
power  is  delegated  to  them  as  a  body,  and  their 
quorum,  or  what  number  shall  be  present,  in 


260  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  64 

order  that  they  may  act  as  a  board  or  com- 
mittee, cannot  be  determined  by  them,  unless 
so  provided  in  the  by-laws. 

While  no  question  can  be  decided  in  the  absence  of 
a  quorum  excepting  those  mentioned  above,  a  member 
cannot  be  interrupted  while  speaking  in  order  to  make 
the  point  of  no  quorum.  The  debate  may  continue  in 
the  absence  of  a  quorum  until  some  one  raises  the 
point  while  no  one  is  speaking. 

While  a  quorum  is  competent  to  transact  any  busi- 
ness, it  is  usually  not  expedient  to  transact  important 
business  unless  there  is  a  fair  attendance  at  the  meet- 
ing, or  else  previous  notice  of  such  action  has  been 
given. 

Care  should  be  taken  in  amending  the  rule  providing 
for  a  quorum.  If  the  rule  is  struck  out  first,  then  the 
quorum  instantly  becomes  a  majority  of  all  the  mem- 
bers, so  that  in  many  societies  it  would  be  nearly 
impracticable  to  secure  a  quorum  to  adopt  a  new  rule. 
The  proper  way  is  to  amend  by  striking  out  certain 
words  (or  the  whole  rule)  and  inserting  certain  other 
words  (or  the  new  rule),  which  is  made  and  voted  on 
as  one  question. 

Note  on  Quorum. — After  all  the  members  of  an 
organization  have  had  reasonable  notice  of  a  meeting, 
and  ample  opportunity  for  discussion,  if  a  majority  of 
the  total  membership  of  the  organization  come  to  a 
certain  decision,  that  must  be  accepted  as  the  action  or 
opinion  of  that  body.  But,  with  the  exception  of  a 
body  of  delegates,  it  is  seldom  that  a  vote  as  great  as 
a  majority  of  the  total  membership  of  a  large  volun- 
tary organization  can  be  obtained  for  anything,  and 
consequently  there  has  been  established  a  common 
parliamentary  law  principle,  that  if  a  bare  majority  of 
the  membership  is  present  at  a  meeting  properly  called 
or  provided  for,  a  majority  vote  (which  means  a  ma- 
jority of  those  who  vote)  shall  be  sufficient  to  make 
the  act  the  act  of  the  body,  unless  it  suspends  a  rule 
or  a  right  of  a  member  (as  the  right  to  introduce  ques- 
tions and  the  right  of  free  discussion  before  being 
required  to  vote  on  finally  disposing  of  a  question)  and 


§65]  ORDER    OF    BUSINESS  261 

that  a  two-thirds  vote  shall  have  the  power  to  suspend 
these  rules  and  rights.  This  gives  the  right  to  act  for 
the  society  to  about  one-fourth  of  its  members  in  ordi- 
nary cases,  and  to  about  one-third  of  its  members  in 
case  of  suspending  the  rules  and  certain  rights.  But 
it  has  been  found  impracticable  to  accomplish  the  work 
of  most  voluntary  societies  if  no  business  can  be  trans- 
acted unless  a  majority  of  the  members  is  present.  In 
large  organizations,  meeting  weekly  or  monthly  for 
one  or  two  hours,  it  is  the  exception  when  a  majority 
of  the  members  is  present  at  a  meeting,  and  therefore 
it  has  been  found  necessary  to  require  the  presence  of 
only  a  small  percentage  of  the  members  to  enable  the 
assembly  to  act  for  the  organization,  or,  in  other 
words,  to  establish  a  small  quorum.  In  legislative 
bodies  in  this  country,  which  are  composed  of  mem- 
bers paid  for  their  service5,  it  is  determined  by  the 
constitutions  to  be  a  majority  of  their  members.  Con- 
gress in  1861  decided  this  to  be  a  majority  of  the 
members  chosen.  In  the  English  House  of  Commons 
it  is  40  out  of  nearly  700,  being  about  6%  of  the  niem- 
bers,  while  in  the  House  of  Lords  the  quorum  is  3,  or 
about  one-half  of  1%  of  the  members.  Where  the 
quorum  is  so  small  it  has  been  found  necessary  to 
require  notice  of  all  bills,  amendments,  etc.,  to  be  given 
in  advance;  and  even  in  Congress,  with  its  large 
quorum,  one  day's  notice  has  to  be  given  of  any  motion 
to  rescind  or  change  any  rule  or  standing  order.  This 
principle  is  a  sound  one,  particularly  with  societies 
meeting  monthly  or  weekly  for  one  or  two  hours,  and 
with  small  quorums,  where  frequently  the  assembly  is 
no  adequate  representation  of  the  society.  The  diffi- 
culty in  such  cases  may  be  met  in  societies  adopting 
this  Manual  by  the  proper  use  of  the  motion  to  re- 
consider and  have  entered  on  the  minutes  as  explained 
on  page  165. 

65.  Order  of  Business.  It  is  customary 
for  every  society  having  a  permanent  exist- 
ence to  adopt  an  order  of  business  for  its 
meetings.  When  no  rule  has  been  adopted, 
the  following  is  the  order: 


262  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§  65 

(1)  Reading  the  Minutes  of  the  previous  meeting 

[and  their  approval]. 

(2)  Reports  of  Boards  and  Standing  Committees. 

(3)  Reports  of  Special  (Select)  Committees. 

(4)  Special  Orders. 

(5)  Unfinished  Business  and  General  Orders. 

(6)  New  Business. 

The  minutes  are  read  only  once  a  day  at 
the  beginning  of  the  day's  business.  The  sec- 
ond item  includes  the  reports  of  all  Boards 
of  Managers,  Trustees,  etc.,  as  well  as  reports 
of  such  officers  as  are  required  to  make  them. 
The  fifth  item  includes,  first,  the  business 
pending  and  undisposed  of  at  the  previous 
adjournment;  and  then  the  general  orders  that 
were  on  the  calendar  for  the  previous  meeting 
and  were  not  disposed  of ;  and  finally,  matters 
postponed  to  this  meeting  that  have  not  been 
disposed  of. 

The  secretary  should  always  have  at  every 
meeting  a  memorandum  of  the  order  of  busi- 
ness for  the  use  of  the  presiding  ofBcer,  show- 
ing everything,  that  is  to  come  before  the 
meeting.  The  chairman,  as  soon  as  one  thing 
is  disposed  of,  should  announce  the  next  busi- 
ness in  order.  When  reports  are  in  order  he 
should  call  for  the  different  reports  in  their 
order,  and  when  unfinished  business  is  in  order 
he  should  announce  the  different  questions  in 
their  proper  order,  as  stated  above,  and  thus 
always  keep  the  control  of  the  business. 

If  it  is  desired  to  transact  business  out  of 
its  order,  it  is  necessary  to  suspend  the  rules 


§66]         NOMINATIONS    AND    ELECTIONS  263 

[22],  which  can  be  done  by  a  two-thirds  vote. 
But,  as  each  resolution  or  report  comes  up,  a 
majority  can  at  once  lay  it  on  the  table,  and 
thus  reach  any  question  which  it  desires  first 
to  dispose  of.  It  is  improper  to  lay  on  the 
table  or  to  postpone  a  class  of  questions  like 
reports  of  committees,  or  in  fact  anything  but 
the  question  before  the  assembly. 

66.  Nominations  and  Elections.  Before 
proceeding  to  an  election  to  fill  an  office  it  is 
customary  to  nominate  one  or  more  candidates. 
This  nomiination  is  not  necessary  when  the 
election  is  by  ballot  or  roll  call,  as  each  mem- 
ber may  vote  for  any  eligible  person  whether 
nominated  or  not.  When  the  vote  is  viva 
voce  or  by  rising,  the  nomination  is  like  a  mo- 
tion to  fill  a  blank,  the  different  names  being 
repeated  by  the  chair  as  they  are  made,  and 
then  the  vote  is  taken  on  each  in  the  order  in 
which  they  were  nominated,  until  one  is 
elected.  The  nomination  need  not  be  sec- 
onded. Sometimes  a  nominating  ballot  is 
taken  in  order  to  ascertain  the  preferences 
of  the  members.  But  in  the  election  of  the 
of^cers  of  a  society  it  is  more  usual  to  have 
the  nominations  made  by  a  committee.  When 
the  committee  makes  its  report,  which  con- 
sists of  a  ticket,  the  chair  asks  if  there  are 
any  other  nominations,  when  they  may  be 
made  from  the  floor.  The  committee's  nomi- 
nations are  treated  just  as  if  made  by  members 
from  the  floor,  no  vote  being  taken  on  accept- 


264  RULES    OF    ORDER  [§67 

ing  them.  When  the  nominations  are  com- 
pleted the  assembly  proceeds  to  the  election, 
the  voting  being  by  any  of  the  methods  men- 
tioned under  Voting,  [46],  unless  the  by-laws 
prescribe  a  method.  The  usual  method  in 
permanent  societies  is  by  ballot,  the  balloting 
being  continued  until  the  offices  are  all  filled. 
An  election  takes  effect  immediately  if  the 
candidate  is  present  and  does  not  decline,  or 
if  he  is  absent  and  has  consented  to  his  candi- 
dacy. If  he  is  absent  and  has  not  consented 
to  his  candidacy,  it  takes  effect  when  he  is 
notified  of  his  election,  provided  he  does  not 
decline  immediately.  After  the  election  has 
taken  effect  and  the  officer  or  member  has 
learned  the  fact,  it  is  too  late  to  reconsider  the 
vote  on  the  election.  An  officer-elect  takes 
possession  of  his  office  immediately,  unless  the 
rules  specify  the  time.  In  most  societies  it  is 
necessary  that  this  time  be  clearly  designated. 
67.  Constitutions,  By-laws,  Rules  of  Or- 
der, and  Standing  Rules.  The  rules  of  a 
society,  in  a  majority  of  cases,  may  be  con- 
veniently divided  into  these  four  classes, 
though  in  some  societies  all  the  rules  are 
found  under  one  of  these  heads,  being  called 
either  the  constitution,  or  the  by-laws,  or  the 
standing  rules. 

Such  provisions  in  regard  to  the  constitution,  etc., 
as  are  of  a  temporary  nature  should  not  be  placed  in 
the  constitution,  etc.,  but  should  be  included  in  the 
motion  to  adopt,  thus :  "I  move  the  adoption  of  the 
constitution  reported  by  the  committee  and  that  the 


§  6y]  CONSTITUTIONS,    ETC.  265 

four  directors  receiving  the  most  votes  shall  serve  for 
three  years,  the  four  receiving  the  next  largest  num- 
bers shall  serve  for  two  years,  and  the  next  four  for 
one  year,  and  that  where  there  is  a  tie  the  classification 

shall  be  by  lot;''  or,  "I  move  the  adoption,  etc 

and  that  Article  III,  shall  not  go  into  effect  until  after 
the  close  of  this  annual  meeting."  Or,  if  the  motion 
to  adopt  has  been  made,  it  may'be  amended  so  as  to 
accomplish  the  desired  object. 

Constitutions.  An  incorporated  society  fre- 
quently has  no  constitution,  the  charter  taking 
its  place,  and  many  others  prefer  to  coinbine 
under  one  head  the  rules  that  are  more  com- 
monly placed  under  the  separate  heads  of 
constitution  and  by-laws.  There  is  no  objec- 
tion to  this  unless  the  by-laws  are  elaborate, 
when  it  is  better  to  separate  the  most  impor- 
tant rules  and  place  them  in  the  constitution. 
The  constitution  should  contain  only  the  fol- 
lowing : 

(1)  Name  and  object  of  the  society. 

(2)  Qualification  of  members. 

(3)  Officers  and  their  election. 

(4)  Meetings  of  the  society  (including  only  what 

is  essential,  leaving  details  to  the  by-laws). 

(5)  How  to  amend  the  constitution. 

These  can  be  arranged  in  five  articles,  or, 
the  first  one  may  be  divided  into  two,  in 
which  case  there  would  be  six  articles.  Usu- 
ally some  of  the  articles  should  be  divided 
into  sections.  Nothing  should  be  placed  in 
the  constitution  that  may  be  suspended,  ex- 
cept in  the  case  of  requiring  elections  of  ofiFi- 
cers  to  be  by  ballot,  in  which  case  the  require- 
ment may  be  qualified  so  as  to  allow  the  ballot 


266  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§67 

to  be  dispensed  with  by  a  unanimous  vote 
when  there  is  but  one  candidate  for  the  office. 
The  officers  and  board  of  managers  or  di- 
rectors of  an  organization  that  meets  only 
annually  in  convention,  and  the  chairmen  of 
such  committees  as  it  has  authorized  and  has 
required  to  report  to  the  convention,  should 
be,  if  present  at  the  convention,  ex-officio 
members  thereof,  and  provision  for  this  should 
be  made  in  the  constitution.  The  constitu- 
tion should  require  previous  notice  of  an 
amendment  and  also  a  two-thirds  or  three- 
fourths  vote  for  its  adoption.  Where  the 
meetings  are  frequent,  an  amendment  should 
not  be  allowed  to  be  made  except  at  a  quar- 
terly or  annual  meeting,  after  having  been 
proposed  at  the  previous  quarterly  meeting. 
[See  Amendments  to  Constitutions,  etc.,  68.] 
By-laws  should  include  all  the  rules  that  are 
of  such  importance  that  they  cannot  be 
changed  in  any  way  without  previous  notice, 
except  those  •  placed  in  the  constitution  and 
the  rules  of  order.  Few  societies  adopt  any 
special  rules  of  order  of  their  own  under  that 
name,  contenting  themselves  with  putting  a 
few  such  rules  in  their  by-laws  and  th^n  adopt- 
ing some  standard  work  on  parliamentary  law 
as  their  authority.  When  a  society  is  incor- 
porated the  charter  may  take  the  place  of  the 
constitution,  and  in  such  a  case  the  by-laws 
would  contain  all  the  rules  of  the  society, 
except  those   in   the   charter  that   cannot  be 


§67]  CONSTITUTIONS,    ETC.  267 

changed  without  previous  notice.  The  by-laws 
should  always  provide  for  their  amendment  as 
shown  in  68,  and  also  for  a  quorum,  64.  If 
it  is  desired  to  permit  the  suspension  of  any 
by-law  it  should  be  specifically  provided  for. 
By-laws,  except  those  relating  to  business  pro- 
cedure, cannot  be  suspended,  unless  they  ex- 
pressly provide  for  their  suspension.  By-laws 
in  the  nature  of  rules  of  order  may  be  sus- 
pended by  a  two-thirds  vote,  as  stated  in  22. 

The  duties  of  the  presiding  and  recording  officers  of 
a  deliberative  assembly  are  defined  in  58  and  59.  But 
in  many  societies  other  duties  are  required  of  the 
president  and  the  secretary,  and  these,  together  with 
the  duties  of  the  other  officers,  if  any.  should  be  de- 
fined in  the  by-laws.  If  a  society  wishes  to  provide  for 
honorary  officers  or  members,  it  is  well  to  do  so  in  the 
by-laws.  Unless  the  by-laws  state  the  contrary,  these 
positions  are  simply  complimentary,  carrying  with 
them,  the  right  to  attend  the  meetings  and  to  speak, 
but  not  to  make  motions  or  to  vote.  Honorary  presi- 
dents and  vice  presidents  should  sit  on  the  platform, 
but  they  do  not.  by  virtue  of  their  honorary  office, 
preside.  An  honorary  office  is  not  stricdy  an  office,  and 
in  no  way  conflicts  with  a  member's  holding  a  real 
office,  or  being  assigned  any  duty  whatever,  the  same 
as  if  he  did  not  hold  the  honorary  office.  Like  a  college 
honorary  degree,  it  is  perpetual,  unless  rescinded.  So 
it  is  proper,  where  desired,  to  include  in  the  published 
list  of  honorary  officers  the  names  of  all  upon  whom 
the  honor  has  been  conferred,  even  though  deceased. 

Rules  of  Order  should  contain  only  the  rules 
relating  to  the  orderly  transaction  of  business 
in  the  meetings  and  to  the  duties  of  the  offi- 
cers. There  is  no  reason  why  most  of  these 
rules  should  not  be  the  same  for  all  ordinary 
societies,  and  there  is  a  great  advantage  in 


268  RULES    OF    ORDER  [§67 

uniformity  of  procedure,  so  far  as  possible,  in 
all  societies  all  over  the  country.  Societies 
should,  therefore,  adopt  some  generally  ac- 
cepted rules  of  order,  or  parliamentary  manual, 
as  their  authority,  and  then  adopt  only  such 
special  rules  of  order  as  are  needed  to  sup- 
plement their  parliamentary  authority.  Every 
society,  in  its  by-laws  or  rules  of  order,  should 
adopt  a  rule  like  this :  "The  rules  contained  in 
[specifying  the  work  on  parliamentary  prac- 
tice] shall  govern  the  society  in  all  cases  to 
which  they  are  applicable,  and  in  which  they 
are  not  inconsistent  with  the  by-laws  or  the 
special  rules  of  order  of  this  society."  With- 
out such  a  rule,  any  one  so  disposed  can  cause 
great  trouble  in   a  meeting. 

Standing  Rules  should  contain  only  such 
rules  as  may  be  adopted  without  previous  no- 
tice by  a  majority  vote  at  any  business  meet- 
ing. The  vote  on  their  adoption,  or  their 
amendment,  before  or  after  adoption,  may  be 
reconsidered.  At  any  meeting  they  may  be 
suspended  by  a  majority  vote,  or  they  may  be 
amended  or  rescinded  by  a  two-thirds  vote. 
If  notice  of  the  proposed  action  was  given 
at  a  previous  meeting  or  in  the  call  for  this 
meeting,  they  may  be  amended  or  rescinded 
by  a  majority  vote.  As  a  majority  may  sus- 
pend any  of  them  for  that  meeting,  these  rules 
do  not  interfere  with  the  freedom  of  any  meet- 
ing and  therefore  require  no  notice  in  order 
to  adopt  them.    Generally  they  are  not  adopted 


§68]        AMENDMENTS  OF  BV-LAWS,  ETC.  269 

at  the  organization  of  a  society,  but  from  time 
to  time  as  they  are  needed.  Sometimes  the 
by-laws  of  a  society  are  called  standing  rules, 
but  it  is  better  to  follow  the  usual  classifica- 
tion of  rules  as  given  in  this  section.  The 
following  is  an  example  of  a  standing  rule: 

Resolved,  That  the  meetings  of  this  society  from 
April  1  to  September  30  shall  begin  at  7  :30  p.  m.,  and 
during  the  rest  of  the  year  at  8  p.  m. 

No  standing  rule,  or  resolution,  or  motion  is 
in  order  that  conflicts  with  the  constitution,  or 
by-laws,  or  rules  of  order,  or  standing  rules. 

68.  Amendments  of  Constitutions,  By- 
laws, and  Rules  of  Order.  Constitutions, 
by-laws,  and  rules  of  order,  that  have  been 
adopted  and  contain  no  rule  for  their  amend- 
ment, may  be  amended  at  any  regular  busi- 
ness meeting  by  a  vote  of  the  majority  of  the 
entire  membership  ;  or,  if  the  amendment  was 
submitted  in  writing  at  the  previous  regular 
business  meeting,  then  they  may  be  amended 
by  a  two-thirds  vote  of  those  voting,  a  quorum 
being  present.  Rut  each  society  should  adopt 
rules  for  the  amendment  of  its  constitution, 
by-laws,  and  rules  of  order,  adapted  to  its  own 
case,  but  always  requiring  previous  notice  and 
a  two-thirds  vote.  Where  assemblies  meet 
regularly  only  once  a  year,  the  constitution, 
etc.,  should  provide  for  copies  of  the  amend- 
ment to  be  sent  with  the  notices  to  the  mem- 
bers or  the  constituency,  instead  of  requiring 
amendments  to  be  submitted  at  the  previous 


270  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§68 

annual  meeting.  The  requirements  should 
vary  to  suit  the  needs  of  each  assembly,  al- 
ways providing  for  ample  notice  to  the  mem- 
bers or  the  constituency.  In  societies  having 
very  frequent  meetings,  and  also  monthly  or 
quarterly  meetings  more  especially  devoted 
to  business,  it  is  well  to  allow  amendments  to 
the  by-laws,  etc.,  to  be  adopted  only  at  the 
quarterly  or  annual  meetings.  In  specifying 
when  the  amendment  must  be  submitted,  "the 
previous  regular  meeting"  should  be  used  in- 
stead of  "a  previous  regular  meeting,"  as  in 
the  latter  case  action  on  the  amendment  might 
be  delayed  indefinitely  to  suit  the  mover,  and 
the  object  of  giving  notice  be  defeated.  In 
prescribing  the  vote  necessary  for  the  adoption 
of  an  amendment,  the  expression  "a  vote  of 
two-thirds  of  the  members"  should  never  be 
used  in  ordinary  societies,  especially  in  large 
organizations  with  quorums  smaller  than  a 
majority  of  the  membership,  as  in  such  socie- 
ties it  is  seldom  that  two-thirds  of  the  mem- 
bers— that  is,  two-thirds  of  the  entire  member- 
ship— is  ever  present  at  a  meeting.  If  it  is 
desired  to  require  a  larger  vote  than  two- 
thirds  (that  is,  two-thirds  of  the  votes  cast,  a 
quorum  being  present),  the  expression  '*a  vote 
of  two-thirds  of  the  members  present,"  should 
be  used.  Instead  of  submitting  the  amend- 
ment in  writing,  sometimes  only  notice,  or 
written  notice,  of  an  amendment  is  required. 
Unless  the  notice  is  required  to  be  in  writing 


§68]       AMENDMENTS  OF  BY-LAWS,  ETC.  27I 

it  may  be  given  orally.  In  any  case,  only  the 
purport  of  the  amendment  is  necessary,  un- 
less the  rule  requires  that  the  amendment  itself 
shall  be  submitted. 

If  a  committee  is  appointed  to  revise  the 
by-laws  and  report  at  a  certain  m.eeting,  this 
would  be  all  the  notice  required,  and  the 
amendments  could  be  immediately  acted  upon, 
if  the  by-laws  required  only  previous  notice 
of  an  amendment.  But  if  they  required  the 
amendment,  or  "notice  of  such  amendment,"  to 
be  submitted  at  the  previous  regular  meeting, 
the  revision  (pould  not  be  taken  up  until  the  next 
regular  meeting  after  the  committee  had  sub- 
mitted its  report.  The  committee  may  submit 
a  substitute  for  the  by-laws  unless  it  is  limited 
as  to  its  report,  as  a  substitute  is  an  amend- 
ment. Great  care  should  be  exercised  in 
amending  constitutions,  etc.,  to  comply  with 
every  rule  in  regard  to  their  amendment. 

An  amendment  to  the  constitution,  or  any- 
thing else  that  has  already  been  adopted,  goes 
into  effect  immediately  upon  its  adoption,  un- 
less the  motion  to  adopt  specifies  a  time  for  its 
going  into  effect,  or  the  assembly  has  previ- 
ously adopted  a  motion  to  that  effect.  While 
the  amendment  is  pending,  a  motion  may  be 
made  to  amend  by  adding  a  proviso  similar  to 
this,  ''Provided,  that  this  does  not  go  into  ef- 
fect until  after  the  close  of  this  annual  meet- 
ing." Or,  while  the  amendment  is  pending, 
an  incidental  motion  may  be  adopted  that  in 


272  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§68 

case  the  amendment  is  adopted  it  shall  not 
take  effect  until  a  specified  time.  This  requires 
only  a  majority  vote. 

Amending  a  proposed  amendment  to  the 
constitution,  etc.,  may  be  accomplished  by  a 
majority  vote,  without  notice,  subject  to  cer- 
tain restrictions.  The  assembly  is  not  limited 
to  adopting  or  rejecting  the  amendment  just 
as  it  is  proposed,  but  no  amendment  is  in 
order  that  increases  the  modification  of  the 
rule  to  be  amended,  as  otherwise  advantage 
could  be  taken  of  this  by  submitting  a  very 
slight  change  that  would  not  attract  attention 
and  then  moving  the  serious  modification  as 
an  amendment  to  the  amendment. 

Thus,  if  the  by-laws  placed  the  annual  dues  of  mem- 
bers at  $2.00,  and  an  amendment  is  pending  to  strike 
out  2  and  insert  5,  an  amendment  would  be  in  order  to 
change  the  5  to  any  number  between  2  and  5 ;  but  an 
amendment  would  not  be  in  order  that  changed  the  5 
to  any  number  greater  than  5  or  less  than  2.  Had 
notice  been  given  that  it  was  proposed  to  increase  the 
dues  to  more  than  5  dollars,  or  to  reduce  them  below 
2  dollars,  members  might  have  been  present  to  oppose 
the  change,  who  did  not  attend  because  they  were  not 
opposed  to  an  increase  as  high  as  5  dollars.  The  same 
principle  applies  to  an  amendment  in  the  nature  of  a 
substitute,  the  proposed  substitute  being  open  to 
amendments  that  diminish  the  changes,  but  not  to 
amendments  that  increase  those  that  are  proposed,  or 
introduce  new  changes.  Thus,  if  an  amendment  is 
pending,  substituting  a  new  rule  for  one  that  prescribes 
the  initiation  fee  and  annual  dues,  and  the  substitute 
does  not  change  the  annual  dues,  then  a  motion  to 
amend  it  so  as  to  change  the  annual  dues  would'be  out 
of  order.  The  notice  must  be  sufficiently  definite  to 
give  fair  warning  to  all  parties  interested  as  to  the 


§  68]       AMENDMENTS  OF  BY-LAWS,  ETC.  2/3 

exact  points  that  are  to  be  modified.  The  proposed 
amendment  is  a  main  motion,  and  that  is  the  only  ques- 
tion before  the  assembly.  It  is  subject  to  amendments 
of  the  first  and  second  degree,  like  other  main  motions, 
and  no  amendment  that  is  not  germane  to  it  is  in  order. 

A  society  can  amend  its  constitution  and  by-laws  so 
as  to  affect  the  emoluments  and  duties  of  officers 
already  elected,  or  even  to  do  away  with  the  office 
altogether.  If  it  is  desired  that  the  amendment  should 
not  affect  officers  already  elected,  a  motion  to  that 
effect  should  be  adopted  before  voting  on  the  amend- 
ment; or  the  motion  to  amend  could  have  added  to  it 
the  proviso  that  it  should  not  affect  officers  already 
elected.  There  is  something  in  the  nature  of  a  con- 
tract between  a  society  and  its  officers  which  either  one 
can  modify  to  some  extent,  or  even  terminate,  but  it 
must  be  done  with  reasonable  consideration  for  the 
other  party.  A  secretary,  for  instance,  has  no  right  to 
refuse  to  perform  his  duties  on  the  ground  that  he  has 
handed  in  his  resignation.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
society  cannot  compel  him  to  continue  in  office  beyond 
a  reasonable  time  to  allow  for  choosing  his  successor. 

Care  should  be  exercised  in  wording  the  sections 
providing  for  amending  the  constitution,  etc..  to  avoid 
such  tautology  as  "amend,  or  add  to.  or  repeal,"  or 
"alter  or  amend,"  or  "amend  or  in  any  way  change." 
The  one  word  "amend"  covers  any  change  whatever 
in  the  constitution,  etc.,  whether  it  is  a  word  or  a 
paragraph  that  is  added  or  struck  out,  or  replaced  by 
another  word  or  paragraph,  or  whether  a  new  consti- 
tution, etc..  is  substituted  for  the  old  one. 


PART  II. 


Organization,  Meetings,  and  Legal 
Rights  of  Assemblies. 


Art.  XII.      Organization  and  Meetings. 

69.  An  Occasional  or  ^lass  Meeting.  page 

(a)  Organization   275 

(b)  Adoption   of   Resolutions 277 

(c)  Committee  to  Draft  Resolutions 280 

(d)  Semi-Permanent  Mass  Meeting 283 

70.  A  JPermanent  Society. 

(a)  First  Meeting 284 

(b)  Second  Meeting 286 

(c)  Regular    Meeting 291 

71.  Meeting  of  a  Convention. 

(a)  An    Organized    Convention 292 

(b)  A  Convention  not  yet  Organized 296 

69.  An  Occasional  or  Mass  Meeting,  (a)  Organ- 
isation. Before  calling  a  meeting  that  is  not  one  of 
an  organized  society,  the  following  Preliminary  Steps 
should  be  taken :  Those  who  are  responsible  for  the 
call  should  consult  together  and  agree  upon  the  place 
and  time  of  the  meeting,  how  the  notice  shall  be  given, 
who  shall  call  the  meeting  to  order  and  nominate  the 
chairman,  who  shall  be  nominated  for  chairman,  and 
who  shall  explain  the  object  of  the  meeting.  It  is  also 
good  policy  sometimes  to  have  a  set  of  resolutions 
drafted  in  advance  to  submit  to  the  meeting. 

It  is  not  customary  to  call  mass  meetings  to  order 
promptly  at  the  appointed  time,  but  to   wait  ten  or 

2/5 


276  RULES    OF    ORDER  [§69 

fifteen  minutes,  when  the  one  chosen  for  the  purpose 
steps  to  the  front  and  says :  "The  meeting  will  please 
come  to  order ;  I  move  that  Mr.  A  act  as  [or  I  nomi- 
nate Mr.  A  for]  chairman  of  this  meeting."  Some 
one  else  says,  "I  second  the  motion  [or  nomination]." 
The  first  member  then  puts  the  question  to  vote,  by 
saying.  "It  has  been  moved  and  seconded  that  Mr.  A 
act  as  [or  Mr.  A  has  been  nominated  for]  chairman 
of  this  meeting;  those  in  favor  of  the  motion  [or 
nomination]  say  aye;"  and  when  the  affirmative  vote 
is  taken,  he  says,  "Those  opposed  say  no."  If  the 
majority  vote  is  in  the  affirmative,  he  says,  "The  ayes 
have  it,  and  Mr.  A  is  elected  chairman.  He  will  please 
take  the  chair."  If  the  motion  is  lost  he  announces 
that  fact,  and  calls  for  the  nomination  of  some  one 
else  for  chairman,  and  proceeds  with  the  new  nomina- 
tion as  in  the  first  case. 

The  member  who  calls  the  meeting  to  order,  instead 
of  making  the  motion  himself,  may  act  as  temporary 
chairman,  and  say,  "The  meeting  will  please  come  to 
order;  will  some  one  nominate  a  chairman?"  He  puts 
the  question  to  vote  on  the  nomination  as  described 
above,  or  as  below,  in  case  of  the  secretary.  This  is 
dangerous,  however,  in  large  meetings,  where  an  in- 
competent person  may  be  nominated  and  elected  chair- 
man. In  large  assemblies,  the  member  who  nominates, 
with  one  other  member,  frequently  conducts  the  pre- 
siding officer  to  the  chair,  and  the  chairman  makes  a 
short  speech,  thanking  the  assembly  for  the  honor 
conferred  on  him. 

When  the  chairman  takes  the  chair  he  says,  "The 
first  business  in  order  is  the  election  of  a  secretary," 
Some  one  then  makes  a  motion  as  just  described,  or 
he  says,  "I  nominate  ]\Ir.  B,"  when  the  chairman  puts 
the  question  as  below.     Sometimes  several  names  are 


§69]        OCCASIONAL   OR    MASS    MEETING  2/7 

called  out,  and  the  chairman,  as  he  hears  them,  says, 
"Mr.  B  is  nominated;  Mr.  C  is  nominated,"  etc.;  he 
then  takes  the  vote  on  the  first  one  he  heard,  putting 
the  question  in  a  form  similar  to  this :  "As  many  as 
are  in  favor  of  Mr.  B  for  secretary  say  aye;  those 
opposed  say  no.  The  chair  is  in  doubt:  those  in  favor 
of  Mr.  B  for  secretary  will  rise;  those  opposed  will 
rise.  The  negative  has  it  and  the  motion  is  lost.  As 
many  as  are  in  favor  of  Mr.  C  for  secretary  say  aye; 
those  opposed  say  no.  The  ayes  have  it,  and  Mr.  C  is 
elected  secretary.  He  will  please  take  his  place  at 
the  desk."  If  Mr.  C  fails  of  election  the  vote  is  taken 
on  the  next  nominee,  and  so  on  until  one  is  elected. 
The  secretary  should  take  his  seat  near  the  chairman, 
and  keep  a  record  of  the  proceedings,  as  described 
in  59.  The  chairman  should  always  stand  in  putting 
the  question  to  vote,  and  in  large  assemblies  it  is 
better  for  him  to  stand  while  stating  the  question. 
During  debate  he  should  be  seated,  and  pay  atten- 
tion to  the  discussion.  When  nominations  are  made 
it  is  optional  whether  they  are  seconded  or  not.  They 
are  usu-ally  not  debated,  though  sometimes  the  one 
making  the  nomination  and  the  one  seconding  it  say  a 
few  words  at  the  time  in  favor  of  their  nominee.  A 
nomination  cannot  be  amended.  If  additional  officers 
are  desired,  they  may  be  elected  in  the  same  manner 
as  the  secretary. 

(b)  Adoption  of  Resolutions.  These  two  officers 
are  all  that  are  usually  necessary,  so  as  soon  as  the 
secretary  is  elected,  the  chairman  directs  the  secretary 
to  read  the  call  for  the  meeting  and  then  calls  on  the 
person  most  familiar  with  the  question  to  explain  the 
object  of  the  meeting  more  fully,  or  he  may  do  this 
himself.  This  explanation  should  be  immediately  fol- 
lowed by  some  one's  offering  a  series  of  resolutions 


278  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§69 

previously  prepared,  or  by  his  moving  the  appointment 
of  a  committee  to  prepare  resolutions  upon  the  subject- 
In  the  first  case  he  rises  and  says,  "Mr.  Chairman;" 
the  chairman  responds,  "Mr.  C."  Mr.  C,  having  thus 
obtained  the  floor,  says,  "I  move  the  adoption  of  the 
following  resolutions,"  which  he  reads  and  hands  to 
the  chairman.  Some  one  else  says,  "I  second  the 
motion."  The  chairman  then  says,  "It  has  been  moved 
and  seconded  to  adopt  the  following  resolutions," 
which  he  reads,  or  directs  the  secretary  to  read,  and 
then  says,  "The  question  is  on  the  adoption  of  the 
resolutions."  If  no  one  rises  at  once,  he  asks,  "Are 
you  ready  for  the  question?"  The  resolutions  are  now 
open  to  debate  and  amendment.  They  may  be  referred 
to  a  committee,  or  may  have  any  other  subsidiary 
motion  applied  to  them.  When  the  debate  appears  to 
be  finished,  the  chair  again  asks,  "Are  you  ready  for 
the  question?"  If  no  one  then  rises,  he  says,  "As 
many  as  are  in  favor  of  the  adoption  of  the  resolu- 
tions say  aye;"  after  the  ayes  have  voted,  he  says,  "As 
many  as  are  of  a  contrary  opinion  [or  are  opposed] 
say  no ;"  he  then  announces  the  result  of  the  vote  as 
follows :  "The  ayes  have  it  [or  the  motion  is  carried] 
and  the  resolutions  are  adopted."  If  the  debate  has 
lasted  any  length  of  time,  he  should,  before  taking  the 
vote,  have  the  resolutions  again  read. 

It  is  the  practice,  in  legislative  bodies,  to  send  to  the 
clerk's  desk  all  resolutions,  bills,  etc.,  the  title  of  the 
bill  and  the  name  of  the  member  introducing  it  being 
indorsed  on  each.  In  such  bodies,  however,  there  are 
several  clerks  and  only  one  chairman.  In  most  assem- 
blies there  is  but  one  clerk  or  secretary,  and  as  he 
has  to  keep  the  minutes,  there  is  no  reason  for  his 
being  constantly  interrupted  to  read  every  resolution 
offered.    In  such  assemblies,  unless  there  is  a  rule  or 


§  69]        OCCASIONAL   OR    MASS    MEETING  279 

established  custom  to  the  contrary,  it  is  usually  much 
better  to  hand  all  resolutions,  reports,  etc.,  directly  to 
the  chairman.  If  they  were  read  by  the  member  intro- 
ducing them,  and  no  one  calls  for  another  reading,  the 
chairman  may  omit  reading  them  when  he  thinks  they 
are  fully  understood.  [F'or  the  manner  of  reading 
and  stating  the  question  when  the  resolution  contains 
several  paragraphs,  see  24.] 

Dividing  Resolutions.  If  the  committee  reports 
several  independent  resolutions  relating  to  different 
subjects,  the  chair  must  state  the  question  separately 
on  the  resolution,  or  resolutions,  relating  to  each  sub- 
ject, on  the  request  of  a  single  member.  If  the  reso- 
lutions relate  to  a  single  subject  and  yet  each  one  is 
capable  of  standing  alone  if  all  the  rest  are  rejected, 
they  may  be  divided  by  a  majority  vote  on  a  motion 
to  divide  the  question,  as  explained  in  24.  If  the  reso- 
lutions are  so  connected  that  they  cannot  stand  aione, 
then  the  proper  way  to  secure  a  separate  vote  on  an> 
objectionable  resolution  is  to  move  to  strike  it  out. 
When  the  chair  states  the  question  on  striking  it  out, 
the  resolution  is  open  to  amendments  of  the  second 
degree,  so  as  to  perfect  it,  before  the  vote  is  taken  on 
striking  it  out.     [See  page  140.] 

Amending  a  Resolution.  If  it  is  desired  to  amend 
a  pending  resolution,  that  is,  a  resolution  that  the  chair 
has  stated  as  before  the  assembly  for  action,  a  member 
rises  and  obtains  the  floor  as  already  described,  and 
offers,  or  moves,  his  amendment,  thus :  "I  move  to 
insert  the  words  'with  asphalt'  after  the  word  'paved.'  " 
If  the  motion  is  not  at  once  seconded,  the  chair  asks 
if  the  motion  is  seconded.  In  a  large  assembly  he 
should  repeat  the  motion  before  making  this  inquiry, 
as  members  who  would  be  willing  to  second  the  motion 
may  not  have  heard  it.    In  fact,  the  chair  must  usually 


280  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§69 

assume  that  some  members  do  not  hear  what  is  said 
from  the  floor,  and  therefore  that  he  must  always 
repeat  motions  and  the  result  of  votes.  The  motion 
being  seconded,  the  chair  states  the  question  thus :  "It 
is  moved  and  seconded  to  amend  the  resolution  by 
inserting  the  words  'with  asphalt'  after  the  word 
'paved.'  Are  you  ready  for  the  question?"  The  ques- 
tion is  now  open  to  debate  and  amendment,  which 
must  be  confined,  however,  to  the  amendment,  as  it 
has  superseded  the  resolution  and  has  become  what  is 
termed  the  immediately  pending  question.  If  no  one 
rises  to  claim  the  floor,  the  chair  puts  the  question 
thus:  "As  many  as  are  in  favor  of  the  amendment 
[or  motion]  say  aye;  those  opposed  say  no.  The  ayes 
have  it,  and  the  amendment  is  adopted.  The  question 
is  now  on  the  resolution  as  amended,  which  is  as 
follows  [repeat  the  amended  resolution].  Are  you 
ready  for  the  question?"  The  resolution  is  again  open 
to  debate  and  amendment,  as  it  has  again  become  the 
immediately  pending  question.  When  the  chair  thinks 
the  debate  ended,  he  asks,  "Are  you  ready  for  the 
question?"  If  no  one  rises  to  claim  the  floor,  he  puts 
the  question  on  the  resolution,  thus :  "The  question 
is  on  adopting  the  following  resolution :    "Resolved, 

That Those  in  favor 

of  the  motion  [or,  of  adopting  the  resolution]  say 
aye;  those  opposed  say  no.  The  ayes  have  it,  and  the 
resolution  is  adopted." 

(c)  Committee  to  Draft  Resolutions.  If  it  is  pre- 
ferred to  appoint  a  committee  to  draft  resolutions,  a 
member,  after  he  has  addressed  the  chair  and  has  been 
recognized,  says :  "I  move  that  a  committee  of  five  be 
appointed  by  the  chair  to  draft  resolutions  expressive 
of  the  sense  of  this  meeting  on,"  etc.,  adding  the  sub- 
ject for  which  the  meeting  was  called.     The  motion 


I 


§  69]        OCCASIONAL   OR    MASS    MEETING  281 

being  seconded,  the  chairman  states  the  question  thus : 
"It  has  been  moved  and  seconded  that  a  committee  of 
five  be  appointed  by  the  chair  to  draft  resolutions,  etc. 
[repeat  the  motion].  Are  you  ready  for  the  question?" 
If  no  one  rises  he  may  put  the  question  thus :  "As 
many  as  are  in  favor  of  the  motion  say  aye;  those 
opposed  say  no.  The  ayes  have  it  and  the  motion  is 
adopted."  Or,  it  may  be  put  thus:  "The  question  is, 
'Shall  a  committee  of  five  be  appointed  by  the  chair  to 
draft  resolutions,  etc.  [repeating  the  motion]  ?'  As 
many  a:s  are  of  the  affirmative  will  raise  their  right 
hands.  As  many  as  are  of  the  negative  will  signify  it 
in  the  same  way.  The  affirmative  has  it  and  the  mo- 
tion is  adopted.  The  chair  will  appoint  Messrs.  A,  B. 
C,  D,  and  E  as  the  committee  on  resolutions.  The 
committee  will  withdraw  and  prepare  the  resolutions 
as  quickly  as  possible.  What  is  the  further  pleasure 
of  the  meeting?" 

In  a  mass  meeting,  or  in  any  very  large  assembly, 
it  is  safer  to  have  all  committees  appointed  by  the 
chair.  If  the  assembly,  however,  prefers  a  different 
method,  the  procedure  is  as  described  in  32;  or  the 
following  method  may  be  adopted :  A  member  moves, 
"That  a  committee  be  appointed  to  draft  resolutions," 
etc.  This  motion  being  adopted,  the  chair  asks :  "Of 
how  many  shall  the  committee  consist?"  If  only  one 
number  is  suggested,  he  announces  that  the  committee 
will  consist  of  that  number;  if  several  numbers  are 
suggested,  he  states  the  different  ones,  and  then  takes 
a  vote  on  each,  beginning  with  the  largest,  until  one 
number  is  selected.  He  then  inquires:  "How  shall 
the  committee  be  appointed?"  This  is  usually  decided 
without  the  formality  of  a  vote.  The  committee  may 
be  "appointed"  by  the  chair,  in  which  case  the  chair- 
man names  the  committee,  and  no  vote  is  taken ;  or  the 


282  RULES    OF   ORDER  [§69 

committee  may  be  "nominated"'  by  the  chair,  or  by 
members  of  the  assembly  (no  member  naming  more 
than  one.  except  by  unanimous  consent),  and  then  the 
assembly  votes  on  their  appointment.  When  the  chair- 
man nominates,  after  stating  the  names,  he  puts  one 
question  on  the  entire  committee,  thus :  "As  many  as 
are  in  favor  of  these  gentlemen  constituting  the  com- 
mittee say  aye;'  etc.  If  nominations  are  made  by 
members  of  the  assembly,  and  more  names  are  men- 
tioned than  the  number  of  the  committee,  a  separate 
vote  must  be  taken  on  each  name,  in  the  order  of 
nomination,  until   the  committee  is   filled. 

When  the  committee  is  appointed,  it  should  at  once 
retire  and  agree  upon  a  report,  which  should  be  writ- 
ten out  as  described  in  52.  During  its  absence  other 
business  may  be  attended  to,  or  the  time  may  be  occu- 
pied with  hearing  addresses.  If  the  chairman  sees  the 
committee  return  to  the  room,  he  should  announce,  as 
soon  as  the  pending  business  is  disposed  of,  or  the 
member  speaking  closes,  that  the  assembly  will  now 
hear  the  report  of  the  committee  on  resolutions :  or, 
before  this  announcement  he  may  ask  if  the  committee 
is  prepared  to  report.  If  the  chairman  does  not  notice 
the  return  of  the  committee,  its  chairman  avails  him- 
self of  the  first  opportunity  to  obtain  the  floor,  when 
he  says :  "The  committee  appointed  to  draft  resolu- 
tions is  prepared  to  report."  The  chairman  tells  him 
that  the  assembly  will  now  hear  the  report,  which  is 
then  read  by  the  chairman  of  the  committee,  who  im- 
mediately moves  its  adoption,  and  then  hands  it  to 
the  presiding  officer,  upon  which  the  committee  is  dis- 
solved without  any  action  of  the  assembly.  The 
chairman  then  proceeds  as  stated  above  when  the  reso- 
lutions were  offered  by  a  member.  If  it  is  not  desired 
immediately  to  adopt  the  resolutions,  they  may  be  de- 


§69j         OCCASIONAL    OR    MASS    MEETING  283 

bated,  modified,  their  consideration  postponed,  etc.,  as 
explained  in  10. 

When  through  with  the  business  for  which  the 
assembly  was  convened,  or  when  from  any  other  cause 
it  is  desired  to  close  the  meeting,  some  one  moves  "to 
adjourn."  If  no  time  has  been  appointed  for  another 
meeting,  this  motion  may  be  amended  and  debated  a^ 
any  other  main  motion.  If  the  motion  is  carried,  and 
no  other  time  for  meeting  has  been  appointed,  the 
chairman,  in  case  the  ayes  and  noes  are  nearly  equal, 
says :  "The  ayes  seem  to  have  it,  the  ayes  have  it,  the 
motion  is  adopted,  and  we  stand  adjourned  without 
day  (sine  die)."  If  the  vote  is  overwhelmingly  in  the 
affirmative,  the  expression,  "The  ayes  seem  to  have 
it,"  should  be  omitted.  If  a  time  for  an  adjourned 
meeting  has  been  appointed,  the  chair  declares  -the 
assembly  "adjourned  to  8  o'clock  next  Wednesday 
evening,"  or  whatever  is  the  appointed  time.  Before 
declaring  the  adjournment,  or  even  taking  a  vote  on 
adjourning,  the  chair  should  satisfy  himself  that  all 
required  notices  are  given. 

(d)  Semi-Permanent  Mass  Meetings.  Sometimes 
it  is  desirable  to  continue  the  mass  meetings  until  a 
certain  object  is  accomplished,  and  in  such  case  the 
assembly  may  prefer  to  make  a  temporary  organiza- 
tion at  first,  and  then  make  their  >emi-permanent 
organization  with  more  deliberation.  If  so,  the  assem- 
bly would  be  organized  as  just  described,  only  adding 
"pro  tern."  to  the  title  of  the  officers,  thus,  "chairman 
pro  tern."  The  "pro  tern."  is  never  used  in  addressing 
the  officers.  As  soon  as  the  secretary  pro  tern,  is 
elected,  a  committee  is  usually  appointed  to  nominate 
the  semi-permanent  officers,  as  in  the  case  of  a  con- 
vention. A  committee  on  rules  should  also  be  ap- 
pointed, which  should   recommend  a   few   rules  pro- 


284  RULES   OF    ORDER  [§70 

viding  for  the  time  and  place  for  holding  the  meet- 
ings, for  some  authority  on  parliamentary  law,  and 
for  the  number  and  length  of  speeches  allowed,  if 
two  speeches  not  to  exceed  ten  minutes  each  is  not 
satisfactory. 

Frequently  the  presiding  oflficer  is  called  the  Presi- 
dent, and  sometimes  there  is  a  large  number  of  Vice 
Presidents  appointed  for  merely  complimentary  pur- 
poses. The  Vice  Presidents  in  large  formal  meetings 
sit  on  the  platform  beside  the  President,  and  in  his 
absence,  or  when  he  vacates  the  chair,  the  first  on  the 
list  that  is  present  should  take  the  chair. 

70.  A  Permanent  Society,  (a)  First  Meeting. 
When  it  is  desired  to  form  a  permanent  society,  those 
interested  in  it  should  consult  together  and  carefully 
lay  their  plans  before  calling  a  meeting  to  organize 
the  society.  They  should  also  be  careful  in  calling  the 
meeting  to  see  to  it  that  there  is  a  majority  in  sym- 
pathy with  their  plans.  By  neglect  of  this,  and  giving 
a  newspaper  invitation  to  all  interested  in  the  object 
to  attend  the  meeting,  those  who  originated  the  work 
have  found  themselves  in  the  minority  and  not  in 
sympathy  with  the  constitution  which  was  adopted,  so 
that  they  did  not  care  to  join  the  society  after  it  was 
organized.  Having  taken  all  the  preliminary  steps, 
then,  as  described  in  case  of  a  mass  meeting  [page 
275],  they  invite  those  who  they  have  reason  to  think 
are  in  sympathy  with  their  general  plans  to  meet  at  a 
certain  time  and  place  to  consider  the  question  of 
organizing  a  society  for  a  certain  purpose.  As  one  of 
their  preliminary  steps  they  should  procure  copies  of 
the  constitutions  and  by-laws  of  several  similar  socie- 
ties for  the  use  of  the  committee  in  drafting  their  own. 

It  is  not  usual  in  meetings  called  to  organize  a 
society,  or  in  mass  meetings,  to  commence  until  ten  or 


§  yo]  A    PERMANENT    SOCIETY.  285 

fifteen  minutes  after  the  appointed  time,  when  the 
person  previously  selected  for  the  purpose  steps  for- 
ward and  says :  "The  meeting  will  please  come  to 
order;  I  move  that  Mr.  A  act  as  chairman  of  this 
meeting."  Some  one  "seconds  the  motion,"  when  the 
one  who  made  the  motion  puts  it  to  vote  (or,  as  it  is 
called,  "puts  the  question"),  as  already  described 
under  a  "mass  meeting"  [69]  ;  and.  as  in  that  case, 
when  the  chairman  is  elected  he  takes  the  chair  and 
announces,  as  the  first  business  in  order,  the  election 
of  a  secretary. 

After  the  secretary  is  elected,  the  chairman  calls  on 
the  member  who  is  most  interested  in  forming  the 
society  to  state  the  object  of  the  meeting.  When  this 
member  rises  he  says,  "Mr.  Chairman."  The  chair- 
man then  announces  his  name,  when  the  member  pro- 
ceeds to  state  the  object  of  the  meeting.  Having 
finished  his  remarks,  the  chairman  may  call  on  other 
members  to  give  their  opinions  on  the  subject,  and 
sometimes  a  particular  speaker  is  called  out  by  mem- 
bers who  wish  to  hear  him.  The  chairman  should 
observe  the  wishes  of  the  assembly,  and,  while  being 
careful  not  to  be  too  strict,  he  must  not  permit  any 
one  to  occupy  too  much  time  and  weary  the  assembly. 

When  a  sufficient  time  has  been  spent  in  this  infor- 
mal way,  some  one  should  offer  a  resolution,  so  that 
definite  action  can  be  taken.  Those  interested  in 
arranging  for  the  meeting,  if  it  is  to  be  a  large  one. 
should  have  previously  agreed  upon  what  is  to  be  done, 
and  be  prepared,  at  the  proper  time,  to  offer  a  suitable 
resolution,  which  may  be  in  form  similar  to  this: 
"Resolved,  That  it  is  the  sense  of  this  meeting  that 
a  society  for  (state  the  object  of  the  society)  should 
now  be  formed  in  this  city."  This  resolution,  when 
seconded  and  stated  by  the  chair,  is  open  to  debate  and 


286  RULES   OF    ORDER  [§70 

amendment,  and  is  treated  as  already  described  [69]. 
This  preliminary  motion  could  have  been  offered  at 
the  commencement  of  the  meeting,  and  if  the  meeting 
is  a  very  large  one  this  is  generally  better  than  to  have 
the  informal  discussion. 

After  this  preliminary  motion  has  been  voted  on,  or 
even  without  waiting  for  such  a  motion  to  be  made, 
one  like  this  may  be  offered :  "I  move  that  a  committee 
of  five  be  appointed  by  the  chair  to  draft  a  constitu- 
tion and  by-laws  for  a  society  for  (here  state  the 
object),  and  that  it  report  at  an  adjourned  meeting 
of  this  assembly."  This  motion  can  be  amended 
by  striking  out  and  adding  words,  etc.,  and  it  is 
debatable. 

When  this  committee  is  appointed,  the  chairman 
may  inquire :  "Is  there  any  other  business  to  be  at- 
tended to?"  or,  "What  is  the  further  pleasure  of  the 
assembly  [or  club,  or  convention,  etc.]  ?"  When  all 
business  is  finished,  a  motion  may  be  made  to  adjourn 
to  meet  at  a  certain  place  and  time,  which,  when  sec- 
onded and  stated  by  the  chair,  is  open  to  debate  and 
amendment.  It  is  usually  better  to  fix  the  time  of  the 
next  meeting  at  an  earlier  stage  of  the  meeting ;  and 
then,  when  it  is  desired  to  close  the  meeting,  move 
simply  "to  adjourn,"  which  cannot  be  amended  cr 
debated.  When  this  motion  is  carried,  the  chairman 
says,  "This  meeting  stands  adjourned  to  meet  at," 
etc.,  specifying  the  time  and  place  of  the  next 
meeting. 

(b)  Second  Meeting.  At  the  next  meeting  the 
officers  of  the  previous  meeting,  if  present,  serve  until 
the  permanent  officers  are  elected.  When  the  hour 
arrives  for  the  meeting,  the  chairman,  standing,  says, 
"The  meeting  will  please  come  to  order;"  as  soon 
as  the  assembly  is  seated,  he  says,  "The  secretary  will 


§  yo]  A    PERMANENT    SOCIETY  287 

read  the  minutes  of  the  last  meeting,"  and  then  takes 
his  seat.  If  any  one  notices  an  error  in  the  minutes, 
he  should  state  the  fact  as  soon  as  the  secretary  finishes 
reading  them ;  if  there  is  no  objection,  without  waiting 
for  a  motion,  the  chairman  directs  the  secretary  to 
make  the  correction.  The  chairman  then  says,  "There 
being  no  [further]  corrections,  the  minutes  stand 
approved  as  read  [or  as  corrected]." 

The  chair  then  annowices,  as  the  next  business  in 
order,  the  hearing  of  the  report  of  the  committee  on 
the  constitution  and  by-laws.  The  chairman  of  the 
committee,  after  addressing  "Mr.  Chairman"  and 
being  recognized,  says  something  like  this :  "The 
committee  appointed  to  draft  a  constitution  and  by- 
laws has  agreed  upon  the  following,  and  has  di- 
rected me  to  report  the  same  and  move  their  adoption." 
He  then  reads  them,  moves  their  adoption,  and  hands 
them  to  the  chair.  The  motion  being  seconded,  the 
chair  says :  'Tt  has  been  moved  and  seconded  to  adopt 
the  constitution  and  by-laws  reported  by  the  commit- 
tee. The  question  is  on  the  adoption  of  the  constitu- 
tion, which  will  nov/  be  read."  The  constitution  is 
then  read  from  the  platform  by  the  secretary,  or  by 
the  chairman  of  the  committee,  as  the  chair  directs. 
This  reading  may  be  dispensed  with  by  general  con- 
sent, as  it  has  already  been  read.  He  then  reads,  or 
has  read,  the  first  paragraph,  and  asks  if  there  are 
any  amendments  proposed  to  this  paragraph.  When 
through  with  amending  it  he  says,  "There  being  no 
[further]  amendments  to  this  paragraph,  the  next  will 
be  read."  No  vote  should  be  taken  on  adopting  the 
separate  paragraphs.  He  thus  proceeds  through  the 
entire  constitution,  and  then  says  the  whole  constitu- 
tion is  now  open  to  amendment.  This  is  the  time  to 
insert  additional  paragraphs,  or  make  any  amendments 


288  RULES   OF    ORDER  [§70 

to  the  earlier  paragraphs  rendered  necessary  by 
changes  made  in  the  later  ones. 

When  the  chairman  thinks  the  constitution  has  been 
modified  to  suit  the  wishes  of  the  assembly,  he  in- 
quires: "Are  3^ou  ready  for  the  question?"  If  no  one 
wishes  to  speak,  he  puts  the  question :  "As  many  as 
are  in  favor  of  adopting  the  constitution  as  amended 
say  aye ;"  and  then,  "As  many  as  are  opposed  say  no." 
He  distinctly  announces  the  result  of  the  vote.  This 
should  never  be  omitted.  Only  a  majority  vote  is 
required  to  adopt  a  constitution  of  a  new  society,  or 
to  amend  it  before  it  is  adopted. 

The  chairman  now  states  that  the  constitution 
having  been  adopted,  it  will  be  necessary  for  those 
wishing  to  become  members  to  sign  it  (and  pay  the 
initiation  fee,  if  required  by  the  constitution),  and,  if 
the  assembly  is  a  large  one,  suggests  that  a  recess  be 
taken  for  the  purpose.  A  motion  is  then  made  to  take 
a  recess  for,  say,  ten  minutes,  or  until  the  constitution 
is  signed.  The  constitution  being  signed,  no  one  is 
permitted  to  vote  excepting  those  who  have  signed  it, 
and  thus  have  joined  the  society.  While  the  payment 
of  the  initiation  fee  is  strictly  a  prerequisite  to  the 
right  to  vote,  it  should  be  waived  at  this  meeting  with 
those  who  are  unprepared  to  make  the  payment. 

The  recess  having  expired,  the  chairman  calls  the 
meeting  to  order,  and  says,  "The  secretary  will  read 
the  roll  of  members."  This  is  necessary  in  order  that 
all  may  know  who  are  entitled  to  take  part  in  the 
future  proceedings.  After  the  roll  has  been  read,  the 
chair  says,  "The  question  before  the  assembly  is  on 
the  adoption  of  the  by-laws  reported  by  the  committee. 
The  secretary  will  please  read  them."  He  then  pro- 
ceeds exactly  as  in  the  case  of  the  constitution.  The 
motion  to  adopt  the  constitution  and  by-laws  reported 


§  70]  A    PERMANENT    SOCIETY  289 

by  the  committee  having  been  made  when  the  com- 
mittee made  its  report,  no  further  motion  is  neces- 
sary. 

When  the  by-laws  are  adopted,  the  chair  says,  "The 
next  business  in  order  is  the  election  of  the  permanent 
officers  of  the  society."  The  by-laws  should  prescribe 
the  method  of  nomination  and  election  of  the  officers, 
and  they  should  be  strictly  complied  with.  If  the  by- 
laws do  not  prescribe  the  method  of  nomination,  the 
chair  asks,  "How  shall  the  officers  be  nominated?" 
Some  one  may  at  once  move  that  a  committee  be 
appointed  by  the  chair  to  nominate  the  permanent  offi- 
cers of  the  society.  This  motion  being  adopted,  the 
chair  appoints  the  committee,  which  retires  and  agrees 
upon  a  ticket.  During  the  absence  of  the  committee 
the  assembly  may  transact  any  business  it  pleases,  or 
it  may  take  a  recess.  When  the  committee  returns 
to  the  hall,  as  soon  as  pending  business  is  disposed 
of,  the  chair  calls  on  the  chairman  of  the  commit- 
tee for  the  report.  The  chairman  of  the  committee 
reads  the  list  of  nominations,  and  hands  it  to  the  chair. 
The  chair  reads  the  list,  and  then  asks,  "Are  there  any 
further  nominations?"  Any  member  may  now  rise 
and,  after  addressing  the  chair,  nominate  any  one  else 
for  any  office,  or  he  may  nominate  one  person  for  each 
office,  thus  proposing  a  new  ticket.  The  chair  an- 
nounces the  nominations  as  made,  and  when  he  thinks 
that  no  more  names  will  be  proposed,  he  asks,  "Are 
there  any  more  nominations?"  If  there  is  no  response, 
and  if  the  by-laws  prescribe  that  the  election  shall  be 
by  ballot,  as  they  usually  should,  he  appoints  tellers 
and  directs  them  to  distribute  blank  ballots,  upon 
which  each  member  writes  the  name  of  each  office  and 
the  person  for  whom  he  votes  to  fill  that  office.  When 
the  ballots  are  filled  out,  the  chair  directs  the  teller? 


290  RULES  OF  ORDER  [§70 

to  collect  the  ballots,  which  they  do,  in  any  convenient 
receptacle.  The  chair  then  inquires  if  all  have  voted 
who  wish  to,  so  as  to  be  sure  that  the  tellers  have 
not  missed  any  members.  When  all  have  voted  that 
wish,  he  announces  that  "the  polls  are  closed,"  and 
the  tellers  count  the  ballots,  and  the  first  one  appointed 
reports  the  vote,  as  described  on  page  196,  under 
Voting  by  Ballot.  The  chair  then  announces  as  elected 
all  the  candidates  who  received  a  majority  vote,  and 
the  temporary  officers  are  immediately  replaced  by  the 
permanent  ones  elected.  If  the  president  is  elected  on 
this  first  ballot  he  immediately  takes  the  chair.  In 
case  any  of  the  offices  remain  unfilled,  the  chair  imme- 
diately orders  the  tellers  to  distribute  blank  ballots, 
and  directs  the  assembly  to  prepare  ballots  for  these 
offices.  Balloting  is  continued  until  all  the  offices  are 
filled.  The  voting  is  not  limited  to  the  nominees,  as 
every  member  is  at  liberty  to  vote  for  any  member 
who  is  not  declared  ineligible  by  the  by-laws. 

After  the  offices  are  filled,  if  there  is  business  that 
the  chair  knows  requires  immediate  attention,  he 
should  mention  it.  Committees  should  probably  be 
appointed  for  various  purposes,  as  described  in  the 
by-laws,  and  the  place  of  meeting  should  be  deter- 
mined. It  is  possible  that  an  adjourned  meeting  may 
be  necessary  in  order  to  complete  the  organization  be- 
fore beginning  the  regular  work  of  the  society.  When 
the  work  is  completed,  or  when  an  adjourned  meeting 
has  been  provided  for,  and  the  lateness  of  the  hour 
requires  an  adjournment,  some  one  should  move  to 
adjourn.  If  the  motion  is  carried,  the  chair  announces 
tlie  vote  and  declares  the  assembly  adjourned.  If  there 
can  be  any  question  as  to  where  and  when  the  next 
meeting  is  to  be  held,  he  should  mention  the  place  and 
time,  though  this  is  not  necessary  afterwards  when 


§  yo]  A    PERMANENT    SOCIETY  29I 

the  place  and  time  are  regularly  established  and 
known. 

If  the  society  is  one  that  expects  to  own  real  estate, 
it  should  be  incorporated  according  to  the  laws  of  the 
state  in  which  it  is  situated,  and  for  this  purpose  some 
member  of  the  committee  on  the  constitution  should 
consult  a  lawyer  before  this  second  meeting,  so  that 
the  constitution  may  conform  to  the  laws  of  the  state. 
In  this  case  the  trustees,  or  managers,  or  directors, 
are  usually  instructed  to  take  the  proper  measures  to 
have  the  society  incorporated. 

(c)  Regular  Meetings  of  a  Society.  After  a  society 
is  properly  organized,  its  regular  business  meetings  are 
conducted  as  follows :  When  the  hour  fixed  for  the 
meeting  to  begin  arrives,  the  presiding  ofiicer  takes 
the  chair  and  calls  the  meeting  to  order  and  directs 
the  secretary  to  read  the  minutes  of  the  last  meeting. 
When  they  are  read,  he  asks,  "Are  there  any  correc- 
tions to  the  minutes?"  If  none  are  suggested,  he  adds, 
"There  being  none,  the  minutes  stand  approved  as 
read."  If  any  corrections  are  suggested,  the  secretary 
makes  them,  unless  there  is  opposition.  If  there  is 
difference  of  opinion,  some  one  moves  to  amend  the 
minutes,  or  the  chair,  without  waiting  for  a  motion, 
may  put  the  question  on  the  amendment  that  has  been 
suggested.  When  this  has  been  settled,  the  chair  asks, 
"Are  there  any  further  corrections  (or  amendments) 
to  the  minutes?"  If  there  is  no  response,  he  adds, 
"There  being  none,  the  minutes  stand  approved  as 
corrected."  He  then  announces  the  next  business  in 
order,  following  the  order  of  business  prescribed  by 
the  rules  of  the  society. 

If  the  order  of  business  is  the  same  as  given  in  65, 
as  soon  as  the  minutes  are  read  and  approved,  the 
chair  says,  "The  next  business  in  order  is  hearing  the 


292  RULES   OF    ORDER  [§  7I 

reports  of  the  standing  committees."  He  may  then 
call  upon  each  committee  in  its  order  for  a  report, 
thus  :  "Has  the  committee  on  applications  for  member- 
ship any  report  to  make?"  In  this  case  the  committee 
may  report  as  shown  above,  or  some  member  of  it 
reply  that  it  has  no  report  to  make.  Or,  when  the 
chairman  knows  that  there  are  but  few,  if  any,  reports 
to  be  made,  it  is  better,  after  making  the  announce- 
ment of  the  business,  for  him  to  ask,  "Have  these 
committees  any  reports  to  make  ?"  After  a  short  pause, 
if  no  one  rises  to  report,  he  states,  "There  being  no 
reports  from  the  standing  committees,  the  next  busi- 
ness in  order  is  hearing  the  reports  of  special  com- 
mittees," when  he  will  act  the  same  as  in  the  case 
of  the  standing  committees.  The  chairman  should 
always  have  a  list  of  the  committees,  to  enable  him 
to  call  upon  them,  as  well  as  to  guide  him  in  the 
appointment  of  new  committees. 

Having  attended  to  the  reports  of  committees,  the 
chair  announces  the  next  business  in  order,  and  so  on 
until  the  business  of  the  meeting  has  been  disposed  of, 
when  some  one  moves  to  adjourn.  If  this  motion  is 
carried,  the  chair  announces  the  vote  and  declares  the 
assembly  adjourned. 

The  meetings  of  different  societies  vary  greatly,  and 
they  should  be  managed  differently  in  order  to  obtain 
the  best  results.  Some  societies  require  a  strict  en- 
forcement of  parliamentary  rules,  while  with  others 
the  best  results  will  be  obtained  by  being  informal. 
It  is  important  that  the  presiding  officer  have  tact 
and  common  sense,  especially  with  a  very  intelligent 
assembly. 

71.  Meeting  of  a  Convention  or  Assembly  of 
Delegates,  (a)  An  Organized  Conzention.  If  a  con- 
vention is  an  organized  body  (that  is,  if  when  convened 


§7l]  MEETING    OF    A    CONVENTION  293 

it  has  a  constitution  and  by-laws  and  officers),  a  com- 
mittee on  credentials,  or  registration,  and  one  on  pro- 
gram, should  have  been  appointed  previous  to  the  meet- 
ing. These  committees  may  have  been  appointed  at  the 
previous  convention,  or  by  the  executive  board,  or  by 
the  president,  as  prescribed  by  the  by-laws.  The  com- 
mittee on  credentials,  or  registration,  should  be  on 
hand  somewhat  before  the  time  of  the  meeting,  in 
some  cases  the  day  before,  so  as  to  be  prepared  to 
submit  its  report  immediately  after  the  opening 
addresses.  It  should  furnish  each  delegate,  when 
he  registers,  with  a  badge  or  card  as  evidence  of  his 
being  a  delegate  and  having  the  right  of  admission  to 
the  hall.  The  committee  on  program  should  in  most 
cases  have  the  programs  printed  in  advance.  In  many 
cases  it  is  better  that  the  constituent  bodies  be  fur- 
nished in  advance  with  copies  of  the  program.  This 
should  always  be  done  when  there  is  difficulty  in  get- 
ting full  delegations  to  attend.  In  addition  to  these 
two  committees  there  are  a  number  of  local  commit- 
tees usually  appointed  by  the  local  society,  as  on  enter- 
tainment, etc.  One  of  the  general  officers  usually 
performs  the  duty  of  a  committee  on  transportation, 
to  obtain  reductions  in  railroad  fares,  etc. 

When  the  hour  appointed  for  the  meeting  arrives, 
the  president,  as  the  permanent  presiding  officer  of  a 
convention  is  usually  called,  stands  at  the  desk,  and, 
striking  it  with  the  gavel  to  attract  attention,  says, 
"The  convention  will  come  to  order.'"  In  large  conven- 
tions there  is  usually  much  confusion  and  noise  at  the 
opening,  and  it  requires  self-control,  firmness,  and  tact 
on  the  part  of  the  presiding  officer  to  preserve  proper 
order  so  that  all  members  may  hear  and  be  heard.  It 
is  a  mistake  for  the  chairman  to  try  to  stop  the  noise 
by  pounding  with  the  gavel  and  talking  so  loud  as  to 


294  RULES   OF   ORDER  [§  7I 

be  heard  in  spite  of  conversation  on  the  floor.  It  is 
better  for  him  to  set  the  example  of  being  quiet,  and 
to  stop  all  business  while  the  noise  is  such  that  mem- 
bers cannot  hear.  Members  should  be  required  to  be 
seated  and  to  refrain  from  talking  except  when 
addressing  the  chair. 

When  the  convention  has  come  to  order  it  is  cus- 
tomary to  have  some  opening  exercises,  the  nature  of 
which  depends  upon  the  character  of  the  convention. 
In  the  majority  of  cases  the  convention  is  opened  with 
prayer,  an  address  of  welcome,  and  a  response.  The 
program,  however,  is  the  president's  guide  as  to  the 
order  of  business,  even  though  it  has  not  yet  been 
adopted  by  the  convention.  It  should  provide  for 
hearing  the  report  of  the  credential  committee  as  soon 
as  the  opening  exercises  are  concluded,  so  that  it  may 
be  known  who  are  entitled  to  vote.  This  committee's 
report  usually  consists  merely  of  a  list  of  the  delegates 
and  their  alternates,  if  any,  whose  credentials  have 
been  found  correct,  and  of  the  ex-officio  members  of 
the  convention,  no  one  being  on  the  list,  however,  who 
has  not  registered  as  present.  The  constitution  should 
always  provide  that  such  as  are  present  of  the  officers 
of  the  convention,  the  members  of  the  Board  of  Man- 
agers, and  the  chairmen  of  the  committees  that  are 
required  to  report  at  the  convention,  shall  be  ex-officio 
members  of  the  convention. 

When  this  report  of  the  credential  committee  is 
presented  it  is  read  either  by  the  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee or  by  the  reading  secretary,  or  official  reader,  if 
there  is  one.  In  all  cases,  it,  and  all  other  reports, 
should  be  read  from  the  platform.  When  the  chair- 
man of  a  committee  cannot  read  so  as  to  be  heard,  the 
report  should  be  read  by  a  reading  secretary,  or  official 
reader,  who  should  be  appointed  in  every  large  con- 


§7l]  MEETING    OF    A    CONVENTION  295 

vention,  solely  for  the  purpose  of  reading  resolutions, 
reports,  etc.  If  there  is  a  case  of  contest  between  two 
sets  of  delegates  and  there  is  serious  doubt  as  to  which 
is  entitled  to  recognition,  the  committee  should  omit 
both  from  the  list  and  report  the  fact  of  the  contest. 
If  the  committee,  however,  thinks  the  contest  not  jus- 
tified, it  should  ignore  it  and  enter  on  the  list  the 
names  of  the  legitimate  delegates.  A  motion  should 
be  made  to  accept  or  adopt  the  report,  which,  after  it 
is  stated  by  the  chair,  is  open  to  debate  and  amend- 
ment. No  one  can  vote  whose  name  is  not  on  the  list 
of  delegates  reported  by  the  committee.  Upon  the 
motion  to  substitute  one  delegation  for  another,  neither 
one  can  vote.  So  upon  a  motion  to  strike  out  the 
names  of  a  delegation  whose  seats  are  contested  they 
cannot  vote.  But  upon  the  main  motion  to  accept  the 
report,  all  persons  whose  names  are  on  the  list  of 
members  as  reported  by  the  committee  and  amended 
by  the  convention  are  entitled  to  vote,  and  they  alone. 
When  this  report  has  been  adopted,  the  president 
should  immediately  call  upon  the  program  committee 
for  a  report.  The  chairman  of  that  committee  sub- 
mits the  printed  program  and  moves,  or  some  one  else 
moves,  its  adoption.  This  is  open  to  debate  and  amend- 
ment, and  when  once  adopted  by  a  majority  vote  can 
not  be  deviated  from  except  by  a  two-thirds  vote  of 
those  voting,  or  by  a  majority  vote  of  the  enrolled 
membership. 

The  membership  of  the  convention  and  the  program 
having  been  decided,  the  convention  is  ready  for  its 
business  as  laid  down  in  the  program.  The  two  com- 
mittees, though  they  have  made  their  reports,  are 
continued  through  the  session,  as  supplementary  re- 
ports may  be  required  from  them.  Additional  dele- 
gates may  arrive,  and  speakers  on  the  program  may  be 


296  RULES   OF    ORDER  [§  7^ 

sick  or  unable  to  be  present,  or  for  other  reasons  a 
change  in  the  program  may  be  necessary.  These  two 
committees  should  be  allowed  at  any  time  to  make 
additional  reports.  The  business  is  conducted  as  de- 
scribed in  the  preceding  section,  but,  of  course,  the 
program  must  be  followed.  Boards  and  standing 
committees  and  the  treasurer  are  always  required  to 
submit  annual  reports,  and  sometimes  reports  are 
required  from  various  other  officers.  Generally  offi- 
cers and  the  board  of  managers,  etc.,  are  elected 
annually;  but  some  constitutions  make  the  term  of 
office  two  years,  and  some  provide,  in  addition,  that 
only  about  half  the  officers  shall  be  elected  at  any  one 
annual  meeting.  In  most  organizations  it  is  better  to 
have  the  term  of  office  begin  at  the  close  of  the  con- 
vention, so  that  the  same  officers  will  serve  throughout 
the  meetings.  At  the  beginning  of  the  first  meeting 
each  day  the  minutes  of  the  preceding  day  are  read 
and  approved.  At  the  close  of  the  convention,  if  there 
is  not  time  to  read  the  minutes  of  the  last  day,  a 
motion  should  be  adopted  authorizing  the  board,  or 
some  committee,  to  approve  the  minutes  of  that  day. 
As  the  proceedings  of  a  convention  are  usually  pub- 
lished, a  publishing  committee  should  be  appointed, 
which  should  have  the  power  to  edit  the  proceed- 
ings. When  through  with  its  business  the  convention 
adjourns  sine  die. 

(b)  A  Convention  not  yet  Organised.  Such  a  con- 
vention is  similar  to  a  mass  meeting,  already  described 
in  69,  in  that  when  called  to  order  it  has  no  constitu- 
tion, by-laws,  or  officers.  It  has  the  added  difficulty 
of  determining  who  are  entitled  to  vote.  In  the  mass 
meeting  every  one  may  vote,  but  in  the  convention  none 
but  properly  appointed  delegates  may  vote,  and  some- 
times this  is  a  very  difficult  question  to  determine  justly. 


§7l]  MEETING    OF    A    CONVENTION  297 

The  convention  must  have  been  called  by  some  commit- 
tee, or  body  of  men,  who  should  have  secured  the  hall 
and  made  the  preliminary  arrangements  for  the  meet- 
ing. If  the  convention  is  a  very  large  one,  so  that  it  is 
necessary  to  reserve  the  main  floor  of  the  hall  for  the 
delegates,  the  committee  should  allow  only  those  to 
enter  who  have  prima  facie  evidence  of  their  right  to 
membership,  and  in  contested  cases  both  sides  should 
be  admitted.  The  chairman  of  the  committee  should 
call  the  convention  to  order,  and  either  he  or  some 
one  the  committee  has  selected  for  the  purpose  should 
nominate  a  temporary  chairman  and  a  temporary 
secretary.  Next  should  come  the  appointment  of  a 
committee  on  credentials,  whose  duty  it  is  to  examine 
all  credentials  and  report  a  list  of  all  the  delegates 
who  are  entitled  to  seats  in  the  convention.  When 
alternates  have  been  appointed  they  should  be  reported 
also.  While  the  committee  on  credentials  is  out, 
committees  may  be  appointed  on  nominations  of 
officers,  on  rules,  and  on  order  of  business  or  pro- 
gram. In  a  large  convention  of  this  kind  all  com- 
mittees should  be  appointed  by  the  chair,  and  no 
one  whose  right  to  a  seat  is  questioned  should  be 
placed  on  a  committee  until  the  convention  has  acted 
favorably  on  his  case.  Until  the  committee  on  creden- 
tials has  reported,  no  business  can  be  done  except  to 
authorize  the  chair  to  appoint  the  above  mentioned 
committees.  While  waiting  for  the  committee  on 
credentials  to  report,  the  time  is  usually  spent  in 
listening  to  speeches.  When  the  committee  reports,  the 
procedure  is  the  same  as  just  described  in  an  organized 
convention.  When  that  report  has  been  adopted,  the 
convention  proceeds  to  its  permanent  organization, 
acting  upon  the  reports  of  the  other  three  com- 
mittees   previously    appointed,    taking   them    in    such 


298  RULES    OF    ORDER  [§71 

order  as  the  convention  pleases.  When  these  reports 
have  been  acted  upon,  the  convention  is  organized, 
with  members,  officers,  rules,  and  program,  and  its 
business  is  transacted  as  in  other  organized  delibera- 
tive assemblies.  If  the  convention  adopts  rules  only 
for  the  session,  the  committee  on  rules  need  recom- 
mend only  a  fev;^  rules  as  to  the  hours  for  beginnmg 
the  meetings,  the  length  of  the  speeches,  etc.,  and  a 
rule  adopting  some  standard  rules  of  order,  where  not 
in  conflict  with  its  other  rules.  If  it  is  not  intended  to 
make  a  permanent  organization,  the  organization  just 
described  is  all  that  is  necessary. 

If  the  convention  is  called  to  make  a  permanent 
organization,  the  committee  on  nominations  is  not 
appointed  until  after  the  by-laws  are  adopted,  and  the 
committee  on  rules  should  report  a  constitution  and 
by-laws  as  in  the  case  of  a  permanent  society  [70]. 
The  committee  in  such  case  is  more  usually  called 
the  committee  on  constitution  and  by-laws.  When  a 
convention  of  this  kind  is  composed  of  delegates  away 
from  their  homes  it  is  practically  impossible  to  have 
them  assemble  more  frequently  than  once  a  year,  and, 
therefore,  before  the  convention  meets,  a  constitution 
and  by-laws  should  be  carefully  drafted  by  those 
interested  in  calling  the  convention.  Those  who  drew 
up  the  by-laws  should  be  appointed  on  the  committee, 
in  order  to  avoid  delay  in  reporting  them. 

After  the  committee  has  reported  a  constitution  and 
by-laws  the  procedure  is  the  same  as  already  described 
in  the  previous  section  in  case  of  acting  on  a  constitu- 
tion and  by-laws  for  a  permanent  society  [page  287]. 
When  the  by-laws  are  adopted,  the  officers  are  elected 
and  committees  are  appointed  as  prescribed  by  the  by- 
laws, and  the  convention  is  prepared  for  its  work  as 
already  described. 


§72]  LEGAL  RIGHTS  OF  ASSEMBLIES  299 

Art.    XIII.      Legal    Rights   of   Assemblies 
and  Trial   of  Their   Members. 

72.  Right  of  an  Assembly  to  Punish  its  Members 299 

73.  Right  of  an  Assembly  to  Eject  any  one  from  its  Place 

of    Meeting 299 

74.  Rights  of  Ecclesiastical  Tribunals 300 

75.  Trial  of  Members  of  Societies 302 

72.  The  Right  of  a  Deliberative  Assembly  to 
Punish  its  Members.  A  deliberative  assembly  has 
the  inherent  right  to  make  and  enforce  its  own  laws 
and  punish  an  offender,  the  extreme  penalty,  however, 
being  expulsion  from  its  own  body.  When  expelled, 
if  the  assembly  is  a  permanent  society,  it  has  the  right, 
for  its  o\vn  protection,  to  give  public  notice  that  the 
person  has  ceased  to  be  a  member  of  that  society. 

But  it  has  no  right  to  go  beyond  what  is  necessary 
for  self-protection  and  publish  the  charges  against 
the  member.  In  a  case  where  a  member  of  a  society 
was  expelled,  and  an  officer  of  the  society  pubHshed, 
by  its  order,  a  statement  of  the  grave  charges  upon 
which  he  had  been  found  guilty,  the  expelled  member 
recovered  damages  from  the  officer  in  a  suit  for  libel, 
the  court  holding  that  the  truth  of  the  charge?  did  not 
affect  the  case. 

73.  Right  of  an  Assembly  to  Eject  any  one 
from  its  Place  of  Meeting.  Every  deliberative 
assembly  has  the  right  to  decide  who  may  be  present 
during  its  session ;  and  when  the  assembly,  either  by  a 
rule  or  by  a  vote,  decides  that  a  certain  person  shall 
not  remain  in  the  room,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  chairman 
to  enforce  the  rule  of  order,  using  whatever  force  is 
necessary  to  eject  the  party. 

The  chairman  can  detail  member^  to  remove  the 
person,  without  calling  upon  the  police.     If.  however. 


300  RULES    OF    ORDER  [  §  74 

in  enforcing  the  order,  any  one  uses  harsher  measures 
than  is  necessary  to  remove  the  person,  the  courts 
have  held  that  he,  and  he  alone,  is  liable  for  damages, 
just  the  same  as  a  policeman  would  be  under  similar 
circumstances.  However  badly  the  man  may  be  abused 
while  being  removed  from  the  room,  neither  the  chair- 
man nor  the  society  is  liable  for  damages,  as,  in  order- 
ing his  removal,  they  did  not  exceed  their  legal  rights. 

74.  Rights  of  Ecclesiastical  Tribunals.  Many 
of  our  deliberative  assemblies  are  ecclesiastical  bodies, 
and  it  is  important  to  know  how  much  respect  will  be 
paid  to  their  decisions  by  the  civil  courts. 

A  church  became  divided,  and  each  party  claimed  to 
be  the  church,  and  therefore  entitled  to  the  church 
property.  The  case  was  taken  into  the  civil  courts, 
and  finally,  on  appeal,  to  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court, 
which,  after  holding  the  case  under  advisement  for  a 
year,  sustained  the  decision  of  the  U.  S.  Circuit  Court. 
The  Supreme  Court,  in  rendering  its  decision,  laid 
down  the  broad  principle  that  when  a  local  church  is 
but  a  part  of  a  large  and  more  general  organization  or 
denomination,  the  court  will  accept  as  final'the  decision 
of  the  highest  ecclesiastical  tribunal  to  which  the  case 
has  been  carried  within  that  general  church  organiza- 
tion, on  all  questions  of  discipline,  faith,  or  ecclesias- 
tical rule,  custom,  or  law,  and  will  not  inquire  into  the 
justice  or  injustice  of  its  decree  as  between  the  parties 
before  it.  The  officers,  the  ministers,  the  members,  or 
the  church  body  which  the  highest  judiciary  of  the 
denomination  recognizes,  the  court  will  recognize. 
Whom  that  body  expels  or  cuts  off,  the  court  will  hold 
to  be  no  longer  members  of  that  church.  The  court 
laid  down  the  following  principles :  * 

*  Watson  vs.  Jones,  13  Wallace  U.  S.  Supreme  Court 
Reports,  p.  679.    This  case  was  decided  April  15,  1872. 


§  74]  ECCLESIASTICAL   TRIBUNALS  3OI 

"Where  a  church  is  of  a  strictly  congregational  or 
independent  organization,  and  the  property  held  by  it 
has  no  trust  attached  to  it,  its  right  to  the  use  of  the 
property  must  be  determined  by  the  ordinary  principles 
which  govern  ordinary  associations. 

"Where  the  local  congregation  is  itself  a  member  of 
a  much  larger  and  more  important  religious  organiza- 
tion and  is  under  its  government  and  control  and  is 
bound  by  its  orders  and  judgments,  its  decisions  are 
final  and  binding  on  legal  tribunals. 

"Courts  having  no  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction,  cannot 
revise  or  question  ordinary  acts  of  church  discipline; 
their  only  judicial  power  arises  from  the  conflicting 
claims  of  the  parties  to  the  church  property  and  the 
use  of  it." 

^ut  while  the  civil  courts  have  no  ecclesiastical 
jurisdiction,  and  cannot  revise  or  question  ordinary 
acts  of  church  discipline,  they  do  have  jurisdiction 
where  there  are  conflicting  claims  to  church  property. 
An  independent  church  by  an  almost  unanimous  vote 
decided  to  unite  with  another  independent  church.  A 
very  small  minorit}',  less  than  ten  per  cent,  did  not 
wish  to  unite  with  the  other  church,  so  they  were  voted 
letters  of  dismission  to  any  other  church  of  like  faith 
and  order,  against  their  protest.  The  majority  then 
directed  the  trustees  to  transfer  their  property  to  the 
other  church  and  voted  themselves  a  letter  of  dismis- 
sion to  unite  with  that  church.  The  church  then 
voted  to  disband.  The  majority  presented  their  letters 
and  were  received  into  the  other  church.  The  minor- 
ity would  not  use  their  letters,  but  took  the  matter  into 
the  courts,  which,  of  course,  decided  that  they  were 
the  church  and  owned  the  property.  According  to  the 
practice  of  churches  of  the  same  denomination,  no 
member    can    he    forced    out   of    the    church    unless 


302  RULES   OF   ORDER  [§75 

for  neglect  of  his  duties  as  a  member.  Letters 
of  dismission  are  granted  only  on  the  request  of  mem- 
bers, and  as  a  general  rule  the  membership  does  not 
terminate  until  the  letter  has  been  used.  The  church 
could  not  terminate  the  membership  of  the  minority, 
against  whom  there  were  no  charges,  by  voting  them 
letters  without  their  consent.  By  not  using  their 
letters  they  soon  constituted  the  entire  membership 
and  rescinded  the  order  to  the  trustees  to  transfer  the 
property  to  the  other  church.  By  the  hasty,  ill-advised 
action  of  almost  the  entire  church  the  majority  lost 
their  property.  In  cases  where  property  is  involved, 
churches  cannot  be  too  careful  and  it  is  usually  best 
to  act  under  legal  advice. 

75.  Trial  of  Members  of  Societies.  Every  de- 
liberative assembly,  having  the  right  to  purify  its  own 
body,  must  therefore  have  the  right  to  investigate  the 
character  of  its  members.  It  can  require  any  of  them 
to  testify  in  the  case,  under  pain  of  expulsion  if  they 
refuse. 

When  the  charge  is  against  the  member's  character, 
it  is  usually  referred  to  a  committee  of  investigation 
or  discipline,  or  to  some  standing  committee,  to  report 
upon.  Some  societies  have  standing  committees  whose 
duty  it  is  to  report  cases  for  discipline  whenever  any 
are  known  to  them. 

In  either  case,  the  committee  investigates  the  matter 
and  reports  to  the  society.  This  report  need  not  go 
into  details,  but  should  contain  its  recommendations 
as  to  what  action  the  society  should  take,  and  should 
usually  close  with  resolutions  covering  the  case,  so 
that  there  is  no  need  for  any  one  to  offer  any  addi- 
tional resolutions  upon  it.  The  ordinary  resolutions, 
where  the  member  is  recommended  to  be  expelled,  are 
(1)  to  fix  the  time  to  which  the  society  shall  adjourn; 


§  75]  TRIAL   OF    MEMBERS 


303 


and  (2)  to  instruct  the  clerk  to  cite  the  member  to 
appear  before  the  society  at  this  adjourned  meeting 
to  show  cause  why  he  should  not  be  expelled,  upon  the 
following  charges  which  should  then  be  given. 

After  charges  are  preferred  against  a  member,  and 
the  assembly  has  ordered  that  he  be  cited  to  appear 
for  trial,  he  is  theoretically  under  arrest,  and  is  de- 
prived of  all  the  rights  of  mem-bership  until  his  case  is 
disposed  of.  Without  his  consent  no  member  should 
be  tried  at  the  same  meeting  at  which  the  charges  are 
preferred,  excepting  when  the  charges  relate  to  some- 
thing done  at  that  meeting. 

The  clerk  should  send  the  accused  a  written  notice 
to  appear  before  the  society  at  the  time  appointed,  and 
should  at  the  same  time  furnish  him  with  a  copy  of 
the  charges,  A  failure  to  obey  the  summons  is  gener- 
ally cause  enough  for  summary  expulsion. 

At  the  appointed  meeting  what  may  be  called  the 
trial  takes  place.  Frequently  the  only  evidence  re- 
quired against  the  member  is  the  report  of  the  com- 
mittee. After  it  has  been  read  and  any  additional 
evidence  offered  that  the  committee  may  see  fit  to 
introduce,  the  accused  should  be  allowed  to  make  an 
explanation  and  introduce  witnesses,  if  he  so  desires. 
Either  party  should  be  allowed  to  cross-examine  the 
other's  witnesses  and  introduce  rebutting  testimony. 
When  the  evidence  is  all  in,  the  accused  should  retire 
from  the  room,  and  the  society  deliberate  upon  the 
question,  and  finally  act  by  a  vote  upon  the  question  of 
expulsion,  or  other  punishment  proposed.  No  member 
should  be  expelled  by  less  than  a  two-thirds*  vote,  a 
quorum  voting.     The  vote  should  be  by  ballot,  except 


*  The  U.  S.  Constitution  [Art.  I.  Sec.  5]  provides  that 
each  House  of  Congress  may,  •'with  the  concurrence  of 
two-thirds,  expel  a  member." 


304  RULES   OF    ORDER  [§75 

by  general  consent.  The  members  of  the  committee 
preferring  the  charges  vote  the  same  as  other  members. 

In  acting  upon  the  case,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind 
that  there  is  a  vast  distinction  between  the  evidence 
necessary  to  convict  in  a  civil  court  and  that  required 
to  convict  in  an  ordinary  society  or  ecclesiastical  body. 
A  notorious  pickpocket  could  not  even  be  arrested, 
much  less  convicted  by  a  civil  court,  simply  on  the 
ground  of  being  commonly  known  as  a  pickpocket ; 
while  such  evidence  would  convict  and  expel  him  from 
any  ordinary  society. 

The  moral  conviction  of  the  truth  of  the  charge  is 
all  that  is  necessary  in  an  ecclesiastical  or  other  delib- 
erative body  to  find  the  accused  guilty  of  the  charges. 

If  the  trial  is  liable  to  be  long  and  troublesome,  or 
of  a  very  delicate  nature,  the  member  is  frequently 
cited  to  appear  before  a  committee,  instead  of  the 
society,  for  trial.  In  this  case  the  committee  reports 
to  the  society  the  result  of  its  trial  of  the  case,  with 
resolutions  covering  the  punishment  which  it  recom- 
mends the  society  to  adopt.  When  the  committee's 
report  is  read,  the  accused  should  be  permitted  to  make 
his  statement  of  the  case,  the  committee  being  allowed 
to  reply.  The  accused  then  retires  from  the  room, 
and  the  society  acts  upon  the  resolutions  submitted  by 
tlie  committee.  The  members  of  the  committee  should 
vote  upon  the  case  the  same  as  other  members. 

If  the  accused  wishes  counsel  at  his  trial,  it  is  usual 
to  allow  it,  provided  the  counsel  is  a  member  of  the 
society  in  good  standing.  Should  the  counsel  be  guilty 
of  improper  conduct  during  the  trial,  the  society  can 
refuse  to  hear  him,  and  can  also  punish  him. 


PLAN  FOR  STUDY 
OF  PARLIAMENTARY  LAW 


INTRODUCTION. 

These  Lesson  Outlines  are  designed  to  assist 
clubs  and  individual  students  who  wish  to  study 
Robert's  Rules  of  Order  Revised.  The  Manual 
is  not  arranged  primarily  with  a  viev/  to  study, 
but  for  the  special  object  of  providing  a  set 
of  rules  for  adoption  by  city  councils,  corpora- 
tions, literary  societies,  clubs,  assemblies,  and 
occasional  meetings.  In  studying  it  the  prefer- 
able way  is  to  learn  the  few  elementary  things 
that  one  must  know  in  order  to  take  the  slightest 
part  in  a  deliberative  meeting  and  then  to  learn 
how  with  ease  to  use  this  Manual  to  find  the  cor- 
rect ruling  or  decision  on  any  point  that  may 
arise.  When  one  has  accomplished  this,  which  is 
covered  by  the  first  four  lessons  outlined  below, 
he  is  prepared  to  study  in  detail  any  portion  of 
the  Manual,  and  in  any  order  that  may  suit  him. 

In  these  Lesson  Outlines  the  four  introduc- 
tory lessons  are  followed  by  the  all-important 
subject  of  Amendments,  to  which  an  entire  les- 
son is  given.  This  lesson  should  be  thoroughly 
mastered,  as  the  subject  of  amendments  is  prob- 
ably equal  in  difficulty  and  importance  to  all  the 
rest  of  parliamentary  law. 

After  Amendments,  the  order  of  the  subjects 
in  the  Manual  is  followed  in  the  Lesson  Outlines 
with  the  following  exceptions:  Incidental  Motions 
are  not  taken  up  until  all  the  other  motions  are 
disposed  of;  the  Orders  of  the  Day  are  treated  in 
connection  with  the  motions  to  Postpone  Defi- 
nitely and  Indefinitely,  because  they  are  so  inti- 
mately connected,  the  Orders  of  the  Day  being 
made  by  postponing  to  a  certain  time  or  by 
adopting  a  program;  the  subject  of  Committees 
is  treated  in  connection  with  the  motion  to 
Commit;  and  to  Take  from  the  Table  is  treated 
in  connection  with  to  Lay  on  the  lable. 

The  Rules  of  Order  is  essentially  a  work  of 
305 


306  PLAN    FOR    STUDY 

reference,  and  the  student  should  keep  this  in 
view.  He  should  aim  at  learning-  how  to  find  a 
ruling  quickly,  rather  than  at  remembering-  the 
ruling.  On  this  account  each  student  should  al- 
ways have  his  copy  of  the  book  with  him  at 
every  meeting  an-d  familiarize  himself  with  its 
use.  Efficiency,  however,  as  a  parliamentarian  is 
acquired  only  by  practice.  "Book  knowledge"  is 
valuable  just  as  with  games  and  athletics,  but 
just  as  no  amount  of  theoretical  knowledge  with- 
out practice  will  enable  a  man  to  excel  in  play- 
ing chess  or  in  swimining,  so  no  amount  of  theo- 
retical knowledge  of  parliamentary  law  without 
practice  will  make  a  man  a  good  practical 
parliamentarian. 

If  the  student  has  the  advantage  of  being  a 
member  ^f  a  class,  the  teacher  will,  doubtless,  use 
parliamentary  drills.  If  he  has  no  teacher  he 
should  study  the  Manual  as  laid  do-wii  in  the 
Lesson  Outlines,  and  try  to  interest  others  to 
join  him  in  forming  a  practice  club.  This  prac- 
tice club  should  hold  frequent  meetings,  thus 
giving  an  opportunity  for  putting  into  practice 
what  has  been  learned.  The  officers  should  be 
constantly  changed  so  as  to  give  different  mem- 
bers the  opportunity  to  preside. 

These  practice  meetings  should  begin  at  least 
as  soon  as  the  students  have  learned  what  is  cov- 
ered by  the  first  four  lessons  as  outlined  further 
on.  At  the  beginning  of  each  meeting  it  would 
be  profitable  to  call  for  criticisms  of  the  previous 
meeting.  This  would  encourage  the  members 
a^^ter  each  meeting  to  investigate  all  doubtful 
points  that  have  arisen,  and  would  call  attention  to 
mistakes  that  otherwise  would  be  overlooked.  It 
will  be  of  great  assistance  to  them  if  during  the 
meetings  they  have  on  the  walls  of  their  room 
the   three    Charts   hereafter   described. 

What  has  just  been  said  in  reference  to  the 
importance  of  practice  meetings  or  drills  in  par- 
liamentary law  applies  equally  to  clubs  or  so- 
cieties, as  only  a  few  of  the  simplest  rules  are 
usually  called  for  in  an  ordinary  meeting.    When 


INTRODUCTION  307 

the  club  cannot  have  a  suitable  teacher  it  can 
carry  on  the  work  bj^  electing  a  member  to  take 
charge  of  the  parliamentary  drills.  This  leader 
should  study  the  course  so  as  to  be  able  to  take 
the  place  of  a  teacher. 

It  will  probably  be  best  in  all  cases  to  follow 
the  order  of  the  first  four  lessons,  and  perhaps 
the  fifth  also.  But  where  the  time  for  the  meet- 
ing is  short  it  may  be  advisable  to  increase  the 
number  of  lessons.  After  the  fifth  lesson  cir- 
cumstances may  make  it  advisable  to  select  only 
a  few  out  of  the  remaining  lessons  and  omit  the 
others,  or  to  divide  some  of  the  lessons.  The 
outlines  as  given  will  serve  as  a  basis  for  a 
scheme  of  lessons  adapted  to  the  special  condi- 
tions in  each  case. 

All  through  the  course  there  should  constantly 
be  drills  with  open  books,  to  enable  the  students 
to  acquire  facility  in  referring  to  a  desired  point, 
since,  as  previously  stated,  this  Alanual  is  a  work 
of  reference. 

*  Three  charts,  averaging  34  by  42  inches,  have 
been  prepared  and  printed  on  cloth  in  large, 
heavy  face  type  that  can  be  read  at  a  distance  of 
thirty  feet.  If  displayed  during  every  business 
meeting,  they  would  conduce  greatly  to  the 
orderly  transaction  of  business.  They  are  a  neces- 
sity for  the  teacher  of  parliamentary  law,  and 
should  be  on  the  wall  at  every  practice  meeting 
or  drill  whether  there  is  a  teacher  or  not.  They 
enable  each  member  without  referring  to  his 
book  to  see  instantly  when  a  motion  is  made 
whether  it  is  in  order,  whether  it  can  be  amended 
or  debated,  whether  it  opens  the  main  question 
to  debate,  whether  it  requires  a  two-thirds  vote, 
and  what  other  motions  may  be  made  while  it  is 
pending.  Besides  giving  the  order  of  precedence 
of  privileged  and  subsidiary  motions,  they  show 
the  incidental  motions,  the  unclassified  motions 
mentioned  on  page  58,  and  what  motions  to  use  to 
accomplish  certain  objects,  as  given  on  page  44. 

*  For  information  regardin£?  these  Charts,  address  Mrs. 
William   Anderson.   211    Eastern   Avenue.    Pittsl.urcli.    I'a. 


308  PLAN    FOR    STUDY 

LESSON   OUTLINES 


Organizing  and  Conducting  Business  in  Mass 
Meetings  and  Permanent  Societies. 

Organization,  pp.  275-277. 

Offering,    Amending,    and   Adopting    Resolutions, 

pp.  277-280. 
Committee  on  Resolutions,  pp.  280-283. 
Permanent  Society,  1st  Meeting,  pp.  284-286. 
Permanent  Society,  2d  Meeting,  pp.  286-291. 
Permanent  Society,  Regular  Meeting,  pp.  291,  292. 
Obtaining  the  Floor,  etc.,  pp.  25-28. 
Preparing,   Making,  and   Seconding  Motions  and 

Resolutions,  pp.  33-38. 

IL 

Debate,  Stating  and  Putting  Questions,  and  What 
Motions  to  Use  to  Accomplish  Certain 
Objects. 

Stating  the  Question,  p.  38. 

Debate,  pp.  38,  39. 

Secondary  Motions,  p.  40. 

Putting  the  Question  and  Announcing  the  Vote, 

pp.  40-43. 
What    Motions    to    Use    to    Accomplish    Certain 
Objects,  pp.  43-51. 
[The    form   of   making   each   of   these    motions 
should   be    explained   by  the   leader  or  teacher.] 

in. 

How  to  Find  if  a  Motion  is  in  Order,  if  it  can  be 
Debated,  Amended,  or  Reconsidered,  and  if  it 
Requires  a  Second,  or  a  2/3  Vote,  etc. 

Order  of  Precedence  of  Motions,  p.  5. 

Table  of  Rules  Relating  to  Motions,  pp.  6-12. 
[The    order    of    Precedence    of    Motions,    p.    5, 

should  be  memorized,  and  the  student  should  be 

able  by  reference  to  the  Table  of   Rules  to  find 

quickly   the   ruling   on   any   of   the   300   questions 

decided  by  it.] 


LESSON    OUTLINES  309 

IV. 

Definitions,    and    How    to    Find    Rulings    in    the 
Manual. 

Plan  of  the  Manual,  pp.  20-22. 
Definitions,  pp.  22-24. 
Plan  of  the  Index,  p.  313. 

Practice    in    the    Use    of    the    Entire    Manual    for 
finding  Rulings  or  Decisions. 

V. 

Amendments. 

Amend,  pp.   134-152. 

Inserting  or  adding,  striking  out.  and  striking  out 

and  inserting  words,  pp.   137-140. 
Amendments   affecting   an    entire    paragraph,    pp. 

140-143. 
Improper  Amendments,  pp.  143-146. 
Motions  that  cannot  be  Amended,  pp.   146,   147. 
Amending  Minutes,  p.  148. 
Filling  Blanks,  pp.   148-152. 

VI. 

Classification  of  Motions  and  Most  of  the  Privi- 
leged Ones. 

Alain  Motions,  pp.  51-54. 

Subsidiary   Motions,  pp.   54-56. 

Incidental  Motions,  pp.  56.  57. 

Privileged  Motions,  pp.  57,  58. 

Certain   Other   Alotions,  p.   58. 

Fix  the  Time  to  which  to  Adjourn,  pp.  59,  60. 

Adjourn,  pp.  60-64. 

Take  a  Recess,  pp.  64-66. 

Questions   of   Privilege,   pp.   66-68. 

VII. 
Orders   of  the   Day,   and   Definite   and   Indefinite 
Postponement. 

Postpone  Indefinitely,  pp.   152,   153. 

Postpone    Definitely   or    to    a    Certain    Time,    pp. 

121-125. 
Call  for  the  Orders  of  the  Day,  pp.  68_-71. 
General  and   Special  Orders,  pp.  71-77. 


310  PLAN    FOR    STUDY 

VIII. 
Laying  Aside  a  Question  Temporarily,  Resuming 
its  Consideration,  and  Closing  and  Limiting 
Debate. 

Lay  on  the  Table,  pp.  104-111. 

Take  from  the  Table,  pp.  154-156. 

Previous  Question,  pp.   111-118. 

Limit  or  Extend  Limits  of  Debate,  pp.  118-120. 

IX. 
The  Motion  to  Commit,  and  Committees. 

Commit,  pp.  125-134. 

Special  and  Standing  Committees,  pp.  211-220. 

Form  of  their  Reports,  pp.  215,  216. 

Form  of  Minority  Report,  p.  216. 

X. 
Committees  (Concluded). 

Reception  of  Committees'  Reports,  pp.  220-223. 

Adoption  of  Committees'    Reports,  pp.  223-229. 

Committee  of  the  Whole,  pp.  229-233. 

As  if  in  Committee  of  the  Whole,  pp.  233,  234. 

Informal  Consideration,  pp.  234,  235. 

Committees  Classified,  pp.  206,  207. 

Boards   of   Managers,    etc.,    and    Executive    Com- 
mittees,  pp.   207-210. 

Ex-Officio  Members  of  Boards  and  Committees, 
p.  210. 

XI. 

Reconsidering  and  Rescinding  a  Vote. 

Reconsider,  pp.    156-165. 

Reconsider  and  Enter  on  the  Minutes,  pp.  165-168. 

Rescind,  pp.  169,  170. 

XII. 
Some  Miscellaneous  and  Incidental  Motions. 

Renew,  pp.  171-173. 

Ratify,  pp.  173.   174. 

Dilatory  and  Absurd  Motions,  pp.  174,  175. 

Incidental  Motions,  pp.  56,  57. 

Questions  of  Order,  pp.  78-81. 

Appeal,  pp.  81-83. 

Suspension  of  the  Rules,  pp.  83-87. 


LESSON    OUTLINES  3II 

XIII. 

Incidental  Motions  (Concluded). 

Objection  to  the  Consideration  of  a  Question, 
pp.  87-89. 

Division  of  a  Question,  pp.  89-92. 

Consideration  bv  Paragraph  or  Seriatim,  pp.  92- 
95. 

Division  of  the  Assembly  and  Other  Motions  re- 
lating to  Voting  and  the  Polls,  pp.  95,  96. 

Motions  relating  to  Methods  of  Making  and  to 
Closing  and  to  Reopening  Nominations,  pp. 
96,  97. 

Parliamentary  Inquiry,  pp.  98.  99. 

Request  for  Information,  pp.  99,   100. 

To  Withdraw  or  Modify  a  Motion,  pp.  100.  101. 

To  Read  Papers,  pp.  101,    102. 

To  be  Excused  from  a  Duty.  pp.   102-104. 

Request  for  any  other  Privilege,  p.  104. 

XIV. 
Debate. 

Debate,  pp.  39  and  178-18Q. 

Decorum  in  Debate,  pp.  180-182. 

Closing  and  Preventing  Debate,  pp.  182-184. 

Principles   of  Debate,  pp.   184-187. 

Motions  that  Open  the  Main  Question  to  Debate, 

p.  187. 
Undebatable  Motions,  p.  187. 

XV. 
Voting. 

Voting,  pp.   1.88-201. 

Announcing  the  Vote,  pp.  190,  191. 

Voting  by  Ballot,  pp.  193-196. 

Voting  by  Yeas  and  Nays.  pp.  197,  198. 

General  Consent,  pp.  198,  199. 

Voting  by  Mail.  pp.   199,  200. 

Voting  by  Proxy,  pp.  200.  201. 

Votes  that  are  Null  and  Void  even  if  Unanimous. 

pp.  201,  202. 
Motions    requiring   More    than   a   Majority    Vote. 

pp.  202-206. 


312  PLAN    FOR    STUDY 

XVI. 

The  Officers  and  the  Minutes. 

Chairman  or  President,  pp.  236-244. 

Hints  to  Inexperienced  Chairmen,  pp.  242-244. 

Secretary  or  Clerk,  pp.  244-247. 

Corresponding  Secretary,  p.  246. 

The  Minutes,  pp.  247-250. 

Executive   Secretary,   pp.   250,   251. 

Treasurer,  pp.  251-253. 

XVII. 

Nominations   and   Elections,    and    Miscellaneous. 

Session,  pp.  253-257. 

Meeting,  pp.  253-255. 

Quorum,  pp.  257-261. 

Order  of   Business,   pp.    261-263. 

Nominations  and  Elections,  pp.  263,  264. 

[As  the  officers  are  usually  elected  by  ballot 
that  method  of  voting  (pages  193-196)  should  be 
reviewed  in  connection  with  this  lesson.  The 
incidental  motions  relating  to  the  methods  of 
making  nominations  and  taking  the  vote  and  of 
closing  and  reopening  nominations  and  the  polls 
(pages  95-97)  should  also  be  reviewed  in  connec- 
tion with  this  lesson.] 

XVIII. 

Rules  of  an  Assembly  and  their  Amendments. 

Constitutions,   pp.   264-266. 

By-laws,  pp.  266,  267. 

Rules  of  Order,  pp.  267,  268. 

Standing  Rules  and  their  Amendment,  pp.  268, 
269. 

Amendment  of  Constitutions,   etc.,  pp.  269-273. 

Amending  a  Proposed  Amendment  to  the  Consti- 
tution, etc.,  p.  272. 

Review  Use  of  Tables  on  pages  5-10,  and  Index. 


INDEX 


The  figures  refer  usually  to  the  page  where  the 
treatment  of  the  subject  begins.  The  arrangement 
of  the  work  can  be  most  easily  seen  by  examining  the 
Table  of  Contents  (pp.  1-4);  its  plan  is  explained  in 
the  Introduction  (p.  20).  If  it  is  desired  to  find  the 
proper  motion  to  use  to  accomplish  a  certain  object, 
turn  to  page  44.  On  pages  5-10  will  be  found  a  large 
amount  of  information  about  all  the  motions  in  com- 
mon use,  which  should  be  carefully  studied  so  that 
when  the  facts  are  needed  they  can  be  quickly  found. 
On  those  pages  will  be  found,  among  other  things, 
the  circumstances  under  which  any  of  the  common 
motions  may  be  made;  the  motions  that  are  in  order 
while  a  specified  motion  is  pending;  and  whether  a 
specified  motion  may  be  debated,  amended,  or  recon- 
sidered, and  whether  it  requires  a  two-thirds  vote, 
etc.  In  the  Index  under  the  title,  "Motions,  List  of," 
will  be  found  a  complete  list  of  motions.  To  find  the 
details  refer  to  the  particular  motion  in  the  Index. 
It  is  best  always  to  refer  to  general  subjects  first,  as 
under  them  will  usually  be  found  all  the  details.  Look 
under  Adjourn,  Committee,  Debate,  Forms,  Vote,  etc., 
for  illustrations. 

o 

PAGE 

Accept,  Adopt,  or  Agree  to 223 

Adjourn,  motion  to 60 

when  not  privileged 63 

effect  upon  unfinished  business 63 

not  used  in  committee  of  the  whole  (see  Rise) ...  63 

motion  to  fix  the  time  to  which  to  adjourn 59 

Amendment,   motion  to  amend 134 

by  inserting  or  adding  words 137 

by  striking    out    words 138 

by  striking  out  and  inserting  words 139 

by  inserting    or    adding,    or    by    striking    out,    an 

entire    paragraph • 1-1^ 

by  substituting  one  paragraph  for  another 141 

of   an   amendment 135 

of  reports  of  committees  or  boards 22S 

of    reports    or    propositions    containing    several 

paragraphs    ^3 

of  Rules  of  Order,  By-laws,  and  Constitutions...  2f.9 


314  INDEX 

Amendment,  continued.  page 

of  Standing  Rules 268 

improper   amendments 143 

motions  that  cannot  be  amended,  list  of 146 

Announcing   the   Vote 42,  190 

Annul 169 

Appeal   from  ttie  decision  of  the  chair 81 

Apply,    meaning   of 21 

Assembly,  how  organized  and  how  business  is  con- 
ducted in    275 

the  word  to  be   replaced   by   Society,    Club,   etc., 

when  it  occurs  in  forms  of  questions 22 

division   of    the 95 

right  to  punish  members 299 

right  to  eject  persons  from  its  room 299 

trial   of  members 302 

Ballot,   voting   by 193 

blanks  not  counted 195 

nominating  or  informal  ballot 263 

form  of  report  of  vote  by 196 

Blanks,   filling   of 148 

in  balloting  not  to  be  counted 195 

Boards  of  Trustees.   Managers,  or   Directors 207 

rules  of  procedure  in 208 

reports  of,  and  their  amendment 209 

reports  of,   treated  as  reports  of  standing  com- 
mittees       2€2 

(See  Quorum) 

Business,   how   introduced 25 

how  conducted   25-42.  275-298 

to  change  order  of  is  undebatable  and  requires 

a   two-thirds    vote 85 

priority  of,  questions  relating  to  are  undebatable  187 

unfinished     63 

By-laws,  what  they  should  contain 266 

adoption   of    287,  288 

amendment  of   269 

suspension    of    267 

Call   of  the   House 175 

Call   to  Order SO 

Chairman,  etc.   (presiding  officer),  mode  of  address     27 

duties   of    236 

election   of    276,  289 

temporary,  or  pro  tern 240 


INDEX 


315 


Chairman,  continued.  pa(;e 

right  to  vote  when  it  affects  result 238 

of  a  committee 211 

of  committee  of  the  whole 230 

inexperienced,   hints   to 242 

Charts,   description  of 307 

Clerk,    (see   Secretary) 244 

Close   Debate  now   (see  Previous  Question) Ill 

at  a  future  time 118 

Commit,   motion  to 125 

forms  of  the  motion 130 

Committees,  Executive,  and  Boards 207 

ex-officio   members    of 210 

of  the  whole 229 

as  if  in  committee  of  the  whole 233 

Committees,   Special  and  Standing 211 

distinction  between   special  and  standing 211 

object   of    130 

appointment  of   128 

of  whom  they  should   be  composed 131,  132 

proper   size   of 132 

chairman  of    131 

reporting  member   of 220 

quorum  in,  consists  of  a  majority 259 

manner  of  conducting  business  in 213 

to  discharge   132 

Reports  of,  their  form 215 

their  reception     220 

their  amendment    228 

their  adoption  or  acceptance 223 

their  place  in  the  order  of  business 262 

common  errors  in  acting  upon 222 

Minority  Reports  or  Vieus  of,  their  form 216 

cannot  be  acted  upon  unless  moved  as  a  sub- 
stitute for  the  committee's  (majority's)  re- 
port       216 

Congress.  Rules  of.  the  basis  of  this  work 20 

(Rules  of,  to  be  found  in  footnotes  when  diflferent 
from  those  given  in  text) 

Consent,  unanimous  or  general 202 

can  be  given  only  when  a  tiuorum  is  present 259 

Consideration  of  a   Question,  objection  to 87 


3l6  INDEX 


PAGE 

Constitutions,  what  they  should  contain 265 

adoption  of   287 

amendment  of   269 

cannot  be   suspended 85 

Convention,  organizing-  and   conducting  a  meeting 

of  a   292,  296 

Credentials  of  delegates 293 

Debate    38,  178 

what  precedes   26 

no  member  to  speak  but  twice  on  same  day  in 

same     . .     39 

no  speech  to  be  longer  than  ten  minutes 39 

number  and  length  of  speeches  in  Congress  (Note)    178 

member  reporting  measure  has  right  to  close 179 

tinde^ata'ble  questions,  list  of 187 

motions  that  open  the  main  question  to 187 

principles  regulating  the  extent  of 184 

decorum  in   180 

to  close  now  (Previous  Question) Ill 

to  close  at  future  time 118 

to  limit  or  extend  limits  of 118 

two-thirds  vote  required  to  close,  limit,  or  extend  205 

Decorum  in  Debate 180 

Definitions  of  various  terms 22 

Delegates,  organization  of  a  meeting  of 292.  296 

credentials  of   293 

Dilatory   IVlotions  not  permitted 174 

Disorderly  words  in  debate 181 

Division  of  the  assembly 95 

of  the  question 89 

Duties  of  Officers  (see  Chairman,  Secretary,  Execu- 
tive Seci'etary  and  Treasurer) 

Ecclesiastical  Tribunals,  legal  rights  of 300 

Eject  persons  from  the  room,  right  of  assembly  to.   299 

Elections     263 

Errors,    common 222 

Executive    Board    207 

Executive  Committee 207 

Executive   Secretary 250 

Ex-officio  members  of  boards  and  committees 210 

Expulsion  of  members  requires  a  2/3  vote 303 

Expunge    170 

Extend  the  limits  of  debate 118 

Filling   blanks, 148 


INDEX  317 

pa(;e 

Fix  the  time  to  which  to  Adjourn,  motion  to 59 

when   not  privileged 59 

Floor,  how  to  obtain 27 

necessary  to  obtain,  in  order  to  make  a  motion..     27 

Forms  of  making  motions 33 

a   resolution 34,  35 

a    preamble 35 

stating   questions 38 

putting     questions 40 

announcing  the  result  of  a  vote 41 

tellers'  report  of  vote  by  ballot 196 

acting  on   reports   of  committees 220,  223 

acting  on  reports  or  resolutions  containing  sev- 
eral paragraphs 92 

reports  of  committees 215 

treasurers'  reports 252 

minutes  of  a   meeting 248 

(Under  each  motion  the  form  of  making  it  and 
of  stating  and  putting  the  question  is  given  if 
the  form  is  peculiar) 

General    Consent 202 

Hints  to   Inexperienced   Chairmen 242 

House,  Call  of  the 175" 

Immediately   pending   question,   meaning  of 23 

I  ncidental    motions    or    questions nB 

main    m.otions    or    questions 52 

Indecorum,  leave  to  continue  speaking  after SO 

Indefinite     postponement 152 

Informal    consideration    of   a   question 234 

Information,    Request  for 99 

Introduction  of  Business 25 

Inquiry,    Parliamentary 9R 

Journal    (see    M.itiutcs) 247 

Lay  on  the  table,  motion  to 104 

Leave  to  continue  speaking  after   indecorum SO 

modify  or  withdraw  a  motion 100 

read   papers    101 

be  excused  from  a  duty 102 

Legal   Rights    (see  Assemhhj  and  Ecclesiastical  Tri- 
bunals) 

Lesson     Outlines 308 

Limit  debate,  motion  to US 

Main   motions  or  questions 51 

incidental  main   motions   or   questions 52 


3l8  INDEX 


PAGE 

Majority,  defined    24,   202 

Meeting,  distinction  between  it  and  Session 254 

how  to  conduct  an  occasional  or  mass  meeting-. .   275 
how  to  conduct  a  meeting  to  organize  a  society. .    284 
how  to  conduct  a  regular  meeting-  of  a  society. . .   291 
how  to  conduct  a  meeting  of  delegates  (a  conven- 
tion)         292 

Members  not  to  be  present  during  a  debate   con- 
cerning themselves   182 

not  to  vote  on  questions  personal  to  themselves.   192 

trial   of    302 

not  to  be  expelled  by  less  than  a  2/3  vote 303 

Minority  Report,  or  Views   (see   Committees) 216 

Minutes,  form  and  contents  of 248 

correction  of  before  adoption 147 

correction  of  after   adoption 148,  159 

Moderator  (see  Chairman) 27 

Modification  of  a  motion  by  the  mover 100. 

Motions,  list  of  (for  details  see  each  motion  in  the 
Index) 

accept  a  report 223 

adjourn    60 

adjourn,  fix  the  time  to  which  to 59 

add  words  (see  Amendment) 137 

add  a  paragraph  (see  Amendvxent) 140 

adopt  a  report  (same  as  Accept) 223 

agree  to   (same  as  Adopt) 223 

amend    134 

annul    169 

appeal    81 

blanks,  filling  148 

call  to  order 80 

close  debate  now   (previous  question) Ill 

close  debate  at  a  future  time US 

commit,  or  refer,   or  recommit 125 

consideration  of  a  question,  objection  to 87 

divide   the   assembly 95 

divide  the  question 89 

expunge    170 

extend  the  limits  of  debate 118 

fix  the  time  to  which  to  adjourn 59 

incidental  motions  or  questions 56 

inci'ieiital  main  motions  or  questions 52 


INDEX  319 

Motions,  list  of,  continued.  page 

indefinitely   postpone    152 

informal  consideration  of  a  question 234 

insert  words  (see  Amendment) I37 

insert  a  paragraph  (see  Amendment) 140 

lay  on  the  table 104 

leave  to  continue  speaking  when  guilty  of  inde- 
corum       80 

leave  to  read  papers 101 

leave  to  be  excused  from  a  duty 102 

leave  to  withdraw  or  modify  a  motion 100 

limit  debate    118 

main  motions  or  questions 51 

objection  to  the  consideration  of  a  question 87 

order,   questions   of 78 

order,   to  make  a  special 73,  124 

orders  of  the  day.  call  for 6S 

permission,   to  grant   (see   Leave) 

postpone  to  a  certain  time,  or  definitely 121 

postpone   indefinitely    152 

previous  question  Ill 

principal   (same  as  Main)  motions  or  questions..  51 

priority  of  business,   questions  relating  to 187 

privileged  motions  or  questions 57 

privilege,   questions  of 66 

reading  papers  101 

reception  of  a  report   (see  Committees) 220 

recommit  (same  as  Commit) 125 

reconsider    156 

reconsider  and  enter  on  the  minutes 165 

r^fer   (same  as  Commit) -. 125 

renewal   of  a  motion 171 

rescind,   repeal,-  or  annul 169 

rise  (in  committee  of  the  whole  equals  adjourn) . 

63.  231 

special  order,   to  make  a 73,  124 

strike  out  words  (see  Amendment) 138 

strike  out  a  paragraph 140 

strike  out  and  insert  words  (see  Amendment) 139 

strike  out  and  insert  a  paragraph  (same  as  Sub- 
stitute)      141 

subsidiary  motions  or  questions 54 

substitute  (one  form  of  Amendment,  which  see)..  141 

suspension  of  the  rules 83 


320  INDEX 

Motions,   list  of,  continued.  PAGE 

take  from  the  table 154 

take  up  a  question  out  of  its  proper  order 85,  86 

withdrawal   of  a    motion 100 

Motions,  Table  of  rules  relating  to 6 

' order  of  precedence  of   5 

classified  according  to  their  object 44 

classified  into  Privileged,   Incidental,    Subsidiary, 

etc 51-58 

how  to  be  made 33 

a  second  required  (with  certain  exceptions) 36 

to  be  stated  by  chairman  before  being  discussed.     38 

when  to  be  in  writing 34 

how  to  be  divided 89 

how  to  be  modified  by  the  mover 100 

how  to  be  stated 38 

how  to  be  put  to  the  question 40 

that  are  in  order  when  another  has  the   floor..     32 

that  do  not  require  a  second 37 

that  cannot  be   amended 146 

that  cannot  be  debated 187 

that  cannot  be  reconsidered 158 

that  open  main  question   to  debate 187 

that  require  2/3  vote  for  their  adoption 205 

that  are   null   and  void    even   if   adopted   unani- 
mously       201 

dilatory,  absurd,   or  frivolous,   not  allowed 174 

Nominating  Ballot   263 

Nominations,    how   treated 96,  263,  276 

closing  and  reopening 97 

seconding     263 

Numbers  of  paragraphs,  clerk  to  correct  without  a 
vote    148 

Objection     to     consideration     [introduction]     of    a 
question    87 

Obtaining  the  floor 27 

Officers   of   an    assembly    (see   Chairman,   Secretary, 

Treasurer,  and  Vice  President) 277 

election  of   276 

temporary,    or   pro    tem 240 

Order,  questions  of  and  a  call  to 78 

of  business    261 

of  the  day 71 

general    72 


INDEX  321 

Order,  continued.  page 

special   73 

of  precedence  of  motions  5 

Organization  of  an  occasional  or  mass  meeting 275 

of  a  semi-permanent  mass  meeting 283 

of  a  permanent  society 284 

of  a  convention  or  assembly  of  delegates 292.  290 

Papers  and  Documents,  reading  of 101 

in   custody   of   secretary 245 

Parliamentary    Inquiry    98 

Parliamentary  Law,  its  origin,  etc 15 

Pending  question,  meaning  of 23 

immediately  pending  question,  meaning  of 23 

Plan   for  Study  of   Parliamentary   Law 305 

Plan  of  the  Manual 20 

Plurality    Vote   defined 24 

Postpone  to  a  certain  time 121 

indefinitely     152 

Preamble,  form  of 35 

considered  after  the  resolution 94 

Precedence    of    motions,   order   of 5 

meaning  of   21 

President  or  Presiding  Officer  (see  Chairman) 236 

Previous  Question    Ill 

Principal,  or  Main,  Motion  or  Question 51 

Priority  of  Business,  questions  relating  to 187 

Privilege,  questions  of fifi 

Privileged  Motions  or  Questions 57 

Program  of  a  meeting  (same  as  Orders  of  the  Day)  74 

Proxy  Voting    , 200 

Putting  the  question,  form  of 40 

Questions  (see  Forms,  Motions.  Privilege,  Pririlened, 
Order,  Stating,  and  Putting) 

Quorum    257 

when  there  is  no  rule,  consists  of  a  majority....  258 

committees  and  boards  cannot  decide  upon 259 

in   Congress  and   Parliament 261 

Reading  of  Papers 101 

Reception  of  a  Report  (see  Committees) 220 

Recess,  to  take  a 64 

Recommit    (see   Commit) 125,  130 

Reconsider   156 

motions  that  cannot  be  reconsidered 158 

Reconsider  and  have  entered  on  the  minutes 165 


322 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Record,  or  Minutes 247 

Recording  Officer  (see  Secretary) 244 

Refer    (same   as   Commit) 12ri 

Renewal  of  a  motion 171 

Reporting  member  of  a  committee,  defined 220 

Reports  of  committees  (see  Committees) 

Requests  of  any  Ivind 97 

Rescind    169 

Resolutions,   forms  of 34,  35 

not  in  order  if  conflicting  with  Constitution,  By- 
laws.  Rules  of  Order,  or  Standing  Rules... 201,  269 

Restore  to  membership  or  office 170 

Rights  of  assemblies  (see  Assemhhj) 299 

of   ecclesiastical   tribunals 300 

Rise,  motion  to,  in  committee  equals  adjourn. .  .63,  231 

Rules  of  Debate  (see  Debate) 38.  178 

of  Order,    what   they   should   contain 267 

of   Order,    amendment   of 269 

of  Order,  suspension  of 83 

Standing,    what   they   should   contain 268 

Standing,  amendment  or  suspension  of 268 

relating   to    motions,    Table   of 6 

Seconding,  motions  that  do  not  require 37 

Secretary,    duties   of 244 

election  of   276 

corresponding  24<? 

executive    250 

Seriatim   Consideration    92 

Session     253 

Speaking,    Rules    of    (see   Debate) 38,  178 

Special  Order   73 

Standing    Rules    268 

Stating   a   Question,  form  of 38 

Strike   out   (see  Amendment) 138,  140 

Students,  Suggestions  to 203 

Subsidiary  Motions  or  Questions 54 

Substitute  (see  Amendment) 141 

Sum,  largest  put  first 149 

Suspension  of  the  Constitution 265 

of   By-laws    267 

of  Rules    83 

of  Standing  Rules 268 

Table  of   Rules  relating  to  motions 6 


INDEX  323 


PAGE 

Table,  motion  to  lay  on  the 1 04 

motion  to  talce  from  the 154 

Teachers,    Suggestions    to 303 

Tellers    195 

report  of 19G 

Time,  longest,  or  most  distant,  first  p"t 149 

Treasurer,   duties  of 251 

Trial    of    Members 302 

Two-thirds  vote,   motions  reriuiring 20.". 

various   kinds  of,    explained 304 

principles    regulating    204 

Unanimous  Consent 202 

Undebatable    Motions    or    Questions 187 

Unfinished  Business,  effect  of  adjournment  upon...     63 

its  place  in  the  order  of  business 262 

Vice     Presidents 242 

honorary     267 

Vote    188 

putting   the    question 40 

viva  voce,  or  by  voice 188 

by  show  of  hands 189 

by  rising 189 

by    ballot    193 

by  yeas  and   nays 197 

by  general  consent 198.  202 

proxy  voting  200 

voting  by  mail 199 

division    95 

chairman  entitled  to,  when  it  affects  result 192 

change  of,  permitted  before  result  is  announced.  193 

announcing  the    42,  190 

effect  of  a   tie 192 

authorizing  secretary  to  cast  unanimous  ballot..  194 

declaring  vote  unanimous  when  it  is  not 194.  203 

personal  interests  that  debar  one's  voting 192 

definitions  of  plurality,   majority,  and   two-thirds     24 

motions  requiring  more  than  a  majority 202 

motions  requiring  2/3.    list   of 205 

different   Ivinrls   of   2/3 204 

Whole,   Committee   of  the 229 

Withdrawal  of  a  Motion 100 

Yeas   and    Nays,    voting   by 197 

Yields,  meaning  of 21 


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